Quad City International Airport (KMLI) hangar project advances

A new corporate hangar at the Quad-City International Airport in Moline got the green light Tuesday with approval of the ground lease with Norkev, LLC, the Rock Island-based company planning to build the $3 million hangar.

The Rock Island County Metropolitan Airport Authority voted 8-0 to approve the lease, which paves the way for construction of the 14,000-square-foot structure. The hanger, which will be used exclusively by Norkev, will be located on the east side of the airport's cargo ramp and east of the airport's new customs facility.

Airport officials said in February that they had been in private negotiations concerning a new hangar with a then unnamed company.

According to the airport's lease documents, Patrick Hogan is listed as the manager of Norkev. Hogan is president and owner of Rock Island Auction Co., a global leading auction house for firearms, edged weapons and military artifacts. It is located in the Southwest Rock Island Industrial Park.

Hogan could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Bryan Johnson, the airport's assistant aviation director, told commissioners that the structure will be used solely to store aircraft. He said Norkev took delivery of a corporate plane last fall and is storing it temporarily at Elliott Aviation, located of the back side of the airport's property.

Bruce Carter, aviation director, said construction could begin as early as May, but the hangar is pending approval from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Under the terms of the lease, Norkev will pay the airport an annual lease payment of nearly $22,000 for the first three years, Johnson said. The lease is for a 20-year term with increases in rent over the life of the lease. The company also will pay fuel flowage fees of 10 cents per gallon purchased, an annual environmental fee and half the cost of utilities.

"This is going to be a great asset for the airport," Carter said, adding that the project has an IMPACT agreement and involves no tax increment financing.

According to Johnson, Norkev is leasing 73,000 square feet of ground from the airport to build the hangar, which it will own. "We're so fortunate to have a project like this," he said, adding that "you don't often see these types of projects just fall into your lap."

In other business:

    Carter reported that enplanements for March were up 1 percent to 33,763, while deplanements were up 4 percent to 34,686. "We're running about even after the first three months of the calendar year," he said.

Among the carriers, Allegiant showed the largest growth — reporting 8,195 enplanements, which was up 41 percent from 5,826 a year ago. Delta Airlines was up 8 percent to 11,564 enplanements from 10,731 a year ago. American Eagle's enplanements dropped 3 percent to 6,602 from 6,791 a year ago. United Express was down 27 percent over the year from 9,916 enplanements in March 2013, to 7,241 this year.

For the year, total passengers — enplanements and deplanements combined — are up 2 percent to 68,449 from 66,811 a year ago.

Source:   http://qctimes.com