FRENCH VALLEY, CA — A new multi-million-dollar control tower at French Valley Airport has moved closer to becoming a reality thanks to significant funding from the federal government.
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump approved $5 million in funding for the project at 37600 Sky Canyon Drive in Murrieta. The federal dollars are part of a package of appropriation bills that included more than $67 million for Riverside County projects.
Rep. Ken Calvert (R-41) secured the funding for the county projects through the Community Project Funding process. The program provides investment in a wide variety of projects such as housing, homelessness prevention, workforce training, public facilities, parks, resilience planning and other critical infrastructure and services.
The public-use French Valley Airport is county-owned, and Riverside County Supervisor Chuck Washington said a new tower is needed. (The airport is located within Washington’s Third District.)
“This $5 million federal investment is a major step forward for French Valley Airport and the region,” Washington said. “It moves us closer to delivering an air traffic control tower that will improve safety, support local jobs, and strengthen the continued growth of our regional aviation economy. I’m grateful to our Congressional delegation for their partnership and commitment to our community.”
In a May 23, 2025, letter from Calvert to Rep. Tom Cole (R), Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, the local lawmaker said the money would be used to begin construction of a new Contract Air Traffic Control Tower.
A “Contract” Air Traffic Control Tower is an airport tower where the Federal Aviation Administration contracts with private companies to provide air traffic services rather than using its own employees.
Plans for the project include a 448-square-foot octagonal tower built 93 feet above ground level. A chain-link security fence would surround it, and an emergency generator with designated parking for a fuel truck would be on-site. Ten parking spaces for tower employees would be constructed.
“The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because this project would improve airspace and passenger safety, support regional growth, and increase economic development in the region,” Calvert wrote in the 2025 letter.
According to environmental documents filed with the state, the new tower would “enhance aviation safety by improving air traffic communication, providing improved aircraft separation, and reducing the risk of mid-air collisions and other accidents, runway incursions, and other hazards.”
The proposed project would not affect air traffic patterns or increase airport capacity. Additionally, the tower would be constructed entirely within airport boundaries, and no property acquisition is required, according to the documents.
The airport currently has one runway, which is 6,000 feet long and 75 feet wide. Aircraft operations at French Valley average 290 per day, according to the county’s website.
Construction on the tower is planned to begin this year and would require approximately six months to complete.
