Airport needs millions in upgrades; to attract larger aircraft
Attracting larger passenger airplanes to the Prescott Airport would not be a simple or inexpensive proposition, say city officials.
To accommodate the type of regional airlines that regularly carry anywhere from 70 to 150 passengers, a number of key upgrades reportedly would be necessary. Among them: a new airport terminal, a longer runway, and a new air traffic control tower.
The Prescott City Council held its second in a series of special meetings Tuesday on the airport strategic-planning process - focusing this week on issues "inside the fence" at the northeast-Prescott airport. The first session occurred in January, and two more meetings are scheduled for March and April.
While the presentation included a list of improvements that would be necessary to improve and expand the airport, Economic Initiatives Director Jeff Burt stressed that determining the city's priorities for the facility should come first. "A key element for us is whether we want Prescott Airport to become a regional airport, or whether it remains oriented primarily to general aviation as we go forward," Burt said.
Airport Manager Jeff Tripp explained after the meeting that the airport's existing 1947-era terminal would not be able to accommodate the larger aircraft that many regional airlines currently are using. For instance, he said the airport does not have the "physical ability" for the 150-passenger airplanes used by an airline such as Allegiant Air.
Even with the 19-passenger airplanes that the city's current carrier, Great Lakes Airlines, uses, Tripp said the terminal and 110-car parking lot can get cramped.
Burt pointed out that the city's existing Essential Air Service (EAS) federal subsidy contract with Great Lakes Airlines expires in April 2015. Meanwhile, he added, "Congress also continues to debate funding, and there's no reason to expect that that's going to go away."
Therefore, Burt maintained that "time is of the essence" for the city to set a course for the airport.
Although Burt said his department was still tweaking the numbers Tuesday afternoon, he estimated to the council that the cost of airport upgrades - including remedying runway and taxiway problems and building a new terminal and air traffic control tower - would come in at $86 million. After expected state and federal grants, officials say the local share for the upgrades would total $4.5 million to $5 million.
Council members had a number of questions about the source of money for the upgrades, and Burt said future discussions would focus more on the numbers. "As we get into session three, it's really all about the money. That's really where the rubber meets the road," he said. "We need to identify what our priorities are."
Mayor Marlin Kuykendall suggested that the discussions should not be confined to just the airport, but to the surrounding area as well.
"I'm hopeful we can expand and start looking around the airport so it's a complete economic hub all on its own," Kuykendall said.
Councilman Chris Kuknyo added that the economic-development aspects should apply to the private sector as well as the city. "I'd like to get some investment in that area from the private sector," he said, adding that such investments could help to increase the "stock" of buildings available for airport-area industries.
Along with the discussion of funding, coming steps in the strategic-planning process include refining the vision for the airport area and engaging stakeholders for feedback.
Source: http://www.dcourier.com
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