By NICK BUDD
Hays Post
Hays city commissioners Thursday approved a bid from Paul-Wertenberger Construction for terminal improvements at Hays Regional Airport. The bid will now be forwarded to the Federal Aviation Administration for final approval.
According to ID Creech, director of public works, improvements will include the construction of a larger secure holding area, restroom renovations, a new bathroom inside the TSA holding area, improvements to the roof and HVAC systems, and some “spruce-ups” to the walls and floors of the airport terminal.
The bid also includes the construction of a temporary holding area during the construction phase. A new holding area was included partially because the new commercial carrier, Sky West Airlines, will be using 70-person turbojets, much larger than previous commercial carriers. The current holding area only allows for approximately 30 passengers. SkyWest is scheduled to begin flights Aug. 1.
Much of the funding will come from the FAA’s Airport Improvement Program. The program provides 90 percent of the funding for the construction of eligible portions of the project. The city bears the other 10 percent of the funding of those projects. Improvements that are fully eligible for the AIP funding include the construction of the new hold area and improvements to the lobby. Areas that are partially eligible for the funding include the renovation of the lobby restrooms and improvements to the HVAC facilities. Improvements that are not eligible for AIP funding include the instillation of 2.5 inches of insulation to the roof and the construction of a temporary holding area.
Under the AIP guidelines, the city must accept the lowest bid from the bidder who offers the lowest base bid, which are those areas that are either partially or fully eligible for AIP funding. The city only received one bid in the process, coming from Paul-Wertenberger. The initial bid was tabulated at $1,198,860, but was reduced to $1,188,860. Combined with the engineering costs and the costs for some of the roof insulation and temporary hold area, the total cost of the project comes to $1,385,185. If the bid is accepted by the FAA, the AIP grant will provide $918,783 for the construction and the city will bear the remaining $466,402. Approximately $203, 407 will come from the Airport Improvement fund, $60,800 will come from the Airport Operating Fund and the remaining $202,195 will come from the City Commission Financial Policies’ Fund.
Creech told commissioners he believes it’s a good investment:
Mayor Henry Schwaller said it will be good for area business.
Once the FAA approves the bid, commissioners will vote to accept the financial obligations. According to Creech, construction should take between five and six months.