TEXARKANA, Ark. - The Federal Aviation Administration will release a $1.8 million grant to the local airport this year that will allow it to start construction on the first phase of a new passenger terminal.
Executive Aviation Director Paul Mehrlich told the Texarkana Regional Airport Authority Board on Wednesday that the grant will allow for pouring the building's foundation and laying some of the ground utilities (heating, air, electricity and water) - possibly by April. Once completed, the 40,000-square-foot building will include two jet bridges and cost $16 million.
Mehrlich said that the FAA also plans to approve $4.4 million for extended taxiway work - part of the project - that will include a larger aircraft parking area. The overall cost of all these improvements is $34 million. The estimated completion date is sometime in 2023.
In other business, Mehrlich said the airport is still has two flights per day - to and from Dallas - a schedule that will likely continue on a month basis, until business improves enough for the airport to go back to a four-flights per day schedule.
Mehrlich said the board may call for a special meeting later this month to finalize the layout of an entry roadway leading to the Texarkana Flight Training Center's future aircraft hangar. The Board didn't have enough members present at Thursday's meeting to take action on this of other agenda items.
Earlier this month, Board members tentatively approved allowing the center's owner, Lonny Weitzel, to construct his own business hangar, contingent on requiring his school to build an access road to it.
The road, which will be a short extension off Globe Avenue, will require the flight school to build a eight-foot-high security fence protecting both sides of the extended roadway.
The hangar, which will be built fairly close to the airport's primary runway, will have 12,000 square feet of space to accommodate 11 aircraft of all shapes and sizes. The school's ground lease will be 32 cents per square foot, and construction could take place before this year ends. However, much of the building schedule will be dependent on the weather.