Renaming airport after Harry Reid estimated to cost $5M to $7M
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid speaks to a joint session of the Nevada Legislature on Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2011 at the Legislature in Carson City, Nev. (AP Photo/Cathleen Allison)
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Airport officials are estimating that the move to rename McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas after former U.S. Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada will cost between $5 million to $7 million.
McCarran spokesman Chris Jones say the estimate is preliminary as staff is still tabulating costs, but it's more than the estimated $2 million cost that was floated by officials.
Jones told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the $2 million estimate was based off a smaller scale name change proposed years ago. The Clark County Commission voted earlier this month to rename the airport to Harry Reid International Airport.
The commission's vote calls for the name change to be paid for entirely with private donations.
The Clark County aviation department director is expected to send a formal notice to the Federal Aviation Administration no sooner than mid-March to notify them of the name change. The FAA is expected to take up to six months to review the request.
Commissioner Michael Naft says the actual process of changing the name won't start until its fully funded with donations.
