The return of a Peninsula State Park icon became official Wednesday afternoon after the State Building Commission unanimously approved funding for Eagle Tower. An additional $1.4 million was needed to make the project a reality after the latest round of bids for the tower’s reconstruction came in about $1 million over budget. The reconstructed tower will have a large ramp structure to make it compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. State Building Commission Vice-Chairperson and State Representative Rob Swearingen credited fellow member of the Assembly Joel Kitchens for making sure the project got done.

Friends of Peninsula State Park raised $750,000 to help support the Eagle Tower project. Swearingen expects the timeline for the new tower to move rapidly now that the funding has been secured.