MUSCLE SHOALS — If you
haven’t been to Northwest Alabama Regional Airport recently, you have
missed the initial stages of a face-lift at the terminal.
The building is in a state of transition with metal wall studs exposed in places, covered by clear plastic in others.
Much of the building is already covered with new wall board, which will eventually be covered with a new exterior finish.
The
work is part of a multimillion dollar renovation project that will not
only enhance the appearance of the facility, but alleviate water
problems and make the building more energy efficient.
“The
airport renovation and rehabilitation project is intended to elevate the
reputation of the facility from a place where some travelers try to
avoid to one they wish to utilize due to convenience,” Airport Director
Barry Griffith said. “The last upgrade occurred in 1993 and since that
time, the building had begun to show signs of deterioration in certain
areas.”
The project will improve the energy efficiency of the
building, which also houses Shoals Flight Center and the Silver Airways
ticket counter.
In addition to improving passenger comfort,
Griffith said, it will provide a sustainable exterior building structure
that will alleviate moisture problems.
“This project will
include an entirely new wall system composed of new exterior cladding,
new wall and roof air and moisture barriers, new wall and roof
insulation, a new roofing system and new interior wall finishes,”
Griffith said. “New entrance canopies and signage will accent this new,
high-tech exterior facade.”
He said the project is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
H&N Contractors is the general contractor for the project. The company submitted the low bid of $1,035,000, Griffith said.
Griffith said the project is ahead of schedule and under budget.
“We
are thrilled to be part of this important project for the Northwest
Alabama Regional Airport Authority,” said Mike Holbrook, project
management director at Fuqua & Partners Architects. “The airline
terminal building will get a sleek new skin and be fitted with a
high-tech energy envelope, perhaps the first of its kind in the private
sector in north Alabama. This renovation should provide a
low-maintenance exterior and comfortable interior environment for many
years to come.”
With the exterior walls being removed, temporary walls must be in place inside the terminal.
The
U.S. Department of Energy describes the “building envelope” as a
building’s foundation, walls, roof, windows and doors. A building
controls the flow of energy between the interior and exterior of the
building. A well designed envelope allows the building to provide
comfort for the occupants and respond efficiently to heating, cooling,
ventilating and natural lighting needs, according to the Energy
Department.
Energy efficient
Griffith said the
improvements to the terminal will make the building more energy
efficient, which should lead to lower utility costs.
The
renovations required the relocation of the Silver Airways ticket counter
to the area formerly occupied by airport management, which is in the
center of the terminal building. Shoals Flight Center has been
temporarily relocated to a modular building in the north parking lot.
Silver Airways began service in the Shoals about a year ago and has experienced a bumpy ride so far.
Airline
boardings that initially dipped have been steadily increasing, but
Griffith said they are still about 40 percent less than the airport’s
best year.
Two travelers sat outside the terminal one day last
week waiting for an outbound flight that was delayed due to severe
weather in Altanta.
Prem Bindraban, who was visiting the
International Fertilizer Development Center, said the construction did
not disrupt his flight.
“I’m sitting outside because I don’t like the air conditioning,” he said.
He
and his traveling companion, Antyama Massada, said the airport should
consider marketing the Shoals area to entice people to use the new air
carrier.
Bindraban said only three people were on the flight into Muscle Shoals.
To
put people in the planes, Massada suggested that the airline or the
local airport authority advertise more and target Atlanta to entice
people to visit the Shoals with travel packages for events like the W.C.
Handy Music Festival or to fish or play golf.
Marketing
Members
of the Shoals Chamber of Commerce’s Air Services Committee have
discussed at length ways to market the airport and the new air service,
including marketing to areas around the Shoals, but held off on
implementing a marketing campaign while Silver Airways tweaked its
online reservation system.
“We’ve taken a cautious approach in implementing parts of the marketing plan,” Griffith said.
Griffith said the airport has been marketing local air service in various publications.
Mike
Reiter, project manager for the airport’s aviation consultant, the
Michael Baker Corp., said the project will provide a fresh new look to
the airport terminal as it continues to perform as the transportation
gateway to the Shoals.
The cost of the renovations is being
covered by the entitlement funding the airport receives from the Federal
Aviation Administration.
Griffith said the airport board has agreed to allocate FAA money to the project for the next four years.
“Passengers
will soon be able to enjoy a modern, hassle-free airport in the Shoals
area that offers twice-a-day service to Atlanta at an affordable price,”
Griffith said.
Source: http://www.timesdaily.com
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