Aberdeen Regional Airport' s observation room, a remnant of the days when the airport had a food counter, will disappear as part of a remodeling planned for the airport terminal.
Two areas will be expanded to fill that space. One is the secure holding room — the area where people wait after making it through security. The other is the baggage claim area.
Airport manager Mike Wilson is excited about the project, which will happen late this summer or early next year.
Currently, the baggage claim area can be very crowded when 50 people arrive on a plane and they're welcomed by about 50 others, Wilson said. Under the planned remodeling, the size of the conveyor belt and the area around it will be greatly increased.
Expansion of the secure holding area is also needed, Wilson said. Right now, the room seats 39 people. The room is extremely cramped when 50 people are waiting to board an aircraft, he said. After the expansion, it will have seating for about 70, so it will still be comfortable if the size of aircraft serving Aberdeen increases in the future.
The cost of the work will be about $400,000, Wilson said. Federal money will pay for about 90 percent. The state will pay for 3 to 5 percent, leaving 5 to 7 percent for the city.
Wilson thinks the renovated terminal will be more convenient and more comfortable. As part of the changes, the curtains at both ends of the current observation room will be removed. Wilson also hopes to paint the entire terminal.
“I think it's going to look much nicer,” he said.
Airport space will also be better utilized, he said. The observation room is not used very much and is “not really needed,” Wilson said.
In the room now are seven tables, 21 chairs and three vending machines that sell sandwiches, snacks and pop.
The counter area is left over from unsuccessful attempts to run a deli-type operation in the space. All of the restaurant items, except for an ice machine, will be sold, Wilson said.
In doing the construction, the airport will avoid its two busiest seasons — pheasant hunting and Christmas. If the work can't be done in August and September, it will probably have to wait until January or February.
If the bids for this project come in favorably, Wilson hopes to also expand the terminal building slightly. He'd like to enlarge the area where airline workers deliver baggage to the conveyor. Right now, the area is so tight that those small vehicles are constantly bumping into their surroundings, Wilson said.
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