The Gulf Shores International Airport will receive $5 million in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law as a part of the Airport Terminal Program.

The airport was one of 144 airports selected nationwide and one of two cities in Alabama, alongside Huntsville, receive funding.

"This is for the temporary terminal, a small one that we will be constructing right away," Mayor Robert Craft said about the first steps of the terminal construction.

With the total project expected to cost $7.9 million, the airport has requested a loan of $3 million from the city to complete the project, which was approved at a recent council meeting on Aug. 12.

"This is a 17,500-square-foot terminal building, and it is anticipated to be completed in the fall of 2025," Jon Walker, city administrator, said concerning the final project.

Walker said the terms of the $3 million loan from the city include an 11-year payback schedule with no interest in the first three years. The city will earn 6% interest on the loan if it is not paid off within those first three years.

Councilman Jason Dyken said in an earlier work session there has not been an official release of when construction will be starting but that preconstruction meetings with the contractor were scheduled for this past week. Dyken also said the timeline for the project is about 300 days of construction.

At the Aug. 12 meeting, council members unanimously approved the resolutions to accept the grant through the Federal Aviation Administration and to authorize the GSIA loan from the city.