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CONCORD -- The Concord Regional Airport is beginning to outgrow its 36-foot control tower sparking a push for a new, taller tower to accommodate increased traffic and larger aircrafts.

With NASCAR teams making up 60 percent of their traffic, the current tower was intended to operate just during May and October races. As the need for NASCAR and corporate travel in and out of Concord has increased, so have the size of the airplanes.

"We had more operations 10 years ago, but they were smaller aircrafts," said Richard Lewis, the aviation director at the airport.

The runway was strengthened to support 737s. Now, a tower is needed to better direct them. Site approval is the next step.

"Without the site we can't do any design. We can't do a preliminary cost estimate that's got any accuracy to it," said Lewis.

The estimated cost for most control towers is $3 million. The airport already receives an annual general aviation grant of $150,000. And with Concord already contributing a grant of almost $17,000, city leaders need no convincing.

"The tower is needed so the controllers can clearly see both ends of the runway now that it has been lengthened," Mayor Scott Padget said in a statement. "When the tower that is in use today was built, corporate aviation was very different."

He also said it should have little to no impact on the neighborhoods as these planes already use the airport and many of the larger jets make less noise than some propeller driven aircraft.

Lewis added that the new tower is also necessary to maintain its economic impact. "It's part of the community," he said. "All these planes that left today to go to the race, those are all jobs in our community."

Although a timeline to get a new tower has yet to be determined, Lewis said other improvements will be made by the time air traffic for the Democratic National Convention next year. Lewis also added there are no future plans to bring commercial airlines to Concord.