A $9.8 million Federal Aviation Administration grant has been awarded to the Central Nebraska Regional Airport for its new $14.1 million passenger terminal, airport Executive Director Mike Olson said on Thursday.
Groundbreaking will be in late October, and the project is expected to be completed in the spring of 2016.
The current administration office and covered parking area will be demolished next month to make room for the new terminal.
“This project is the biggest project the airport has ever done,” said Lynn Werner, airport board chairwoman. “It is such a big focus for all of the Central Nebraska region. We have had a tenfold increase in passengers that will continue to increase once people know the beautiful facility that we have here.”
Hausmann Construction of Lincoln was awarded the bid in July to construct the 33,725-square-foot passenger terminal, but the project was contingent upon federal funding, Olson said. The base bid was $12.8 million, but the airport board decided to add some extras, such as a passenger boarding bridge, exterior wayfinding signs and a front-entrance drop-off canopy.
Olson said he was pleased that the FAA is providing the additional resources for the project, which will accommodate passengers for the next 20 years.
The noted the congressional delegation was instrumental in helping the airport secure $7.5 million more federal funding than it would normally receive.
U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith said the Central Nebraska Regional Airport is a model of success for regional airports across the nation.
“This funding is an important component in continuing to provide excellent services to the residents of Nebraska,” Smith said. “I commend the airport staff, the board of directors and local officials for their forward planning and leadership in securing this competitive grant. This success is a result of the community using the service.”
The current terminal was built 60 years ago, with a number of additions over the years. The new terminal will serve the growing number of people using the airport, as well as accommodating future growth.
In recent years, the airport has added Allegiant flights to Las Vegas and Phoenix/Mesa, Ariz., along with American Eagle flights to Dallas. Those flights have drawn travelers from throughout Nebraska and neighboring states such as Kansas and South Dakota.
Ten years ago, annual boardings were at 6,200. By 2013, boardings had hit a record 56,902. That change has resulted in the airport’s annual economic impact increasing from $21.1 million in 2003 to $158 million last year.
The airport is on target to serve 60,000 passengers by year’s end, Olson said.
Projections show the number of boardings at the airport will grow to more than 100,000 per year by 2040.
“We are growing, and we need these facilities for our future growth,” Olson said. “We are getting grassroots support from the fine folks in Grand Island and this region.”
The new terminal will be more than triple the size of the current one. A project to double the amount of airport parking to accommodate the growing number of travelers was completed earlier this year.
Plans for the airport expansion started five years ago, and Olson said many FAA requirements had to be met before work could begin on a new terminal.
The design was done by Mead & Hunt architects and reflects the community and region, along with the people who use it. The terminal space will be enlarged to improve traffic flow and relieve the overcrowding the airport is currently experiencing, especially with flights averaging between 80 percent and 90 percent full.
Parts of the terminal will be designed to allow for expanding the space when the need arises as the airport grows, without much disruption to service.
The new design will also allow for easy drop-off of people at the terminal door.
- Source: http://www.theindependent.com
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