The city of Columbia has filed a petition for eminent domain to acquire about 5 acres of farmland it needs to extend the main runway at the Columbia Regional Airport.
Assistant City Counselor Cavanaugh Noce says the city was unable to negotiate a selling price with the trustee of a fund that owns the land northeast of Columbia.
The Columbia Daily Tribune reports the parcel is part of about 58 acres the city is acquiring for the project. The city has been able to negotiate a selling price with the owners of the rest of the land.
The Federal Aviation Administration is requiring extensions of the airport's main runway and its crosswinds runway to improve safety. City officials hope to break ground on the project in two years.