Council approves another airport hangar expansion

Brian Weiler: The airport already has interested parties for both planned hangars.

City Council last night unanimously approved a resolution allowing the Springfield-Branson National Airport to accept grant funding that largely will pay for a second phase of improvements.

Through an $885,896 grant, the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission will pay the bulk of the $984,330 project that calls on the reconstruction of general aviation areas to add two new hangars. The airport board is providing funds to cover the remainder of the costs, said Aviation Director Brian Weiler, who addressed council last night.

The state commission will fund the project through a Missouri Department of Transportation airport aid agreement, which comes out of the state aviation trust fund, Weiler said.

During Phase I of the general aviation project, the airport used grant funding to add new corporate hangars. Council approved the $5.1 million grant in 2014, and the work was completed the following year, according to city documents.

The first phase of the project — for new corporate hangars —had a roughly $5.1 million grant approved by council in 2014, with work being completed the following year, according to city documents.

“It’s the area just north of the former airline terminal,” Weiler told council.

Three hangars have been built since that time, he said, and the airport leased its last available hangar in December 2018.

“Our last large hangar spot was taken, so we started working with MoDOT at that time getting ready for this project,” he said of Phase II.

After the designs of the new planned hangars were completed, Weiler said the airport solicited bids on Aug. 9. The airport board awarded a $924,430 bid to Emery Sapp & Sons Inc. before last night’s council vote, and Weiler said the goal is to start construction early next year.

Weiler said the airport owns 50 hangars for smaller single-engine aircraft that are leased out on a monthly basis. Reached this morning, Weiler said his goal is to build an additional 30 hangars in the next five years.

The two hangars funded by the latest grant may not be vacant for long.

“We already have interested parties in both of those spots, so we’re trying to accommodate tenants that want to build facilities at the airport,” Weiler told council last night.

Weiler also said a 750-spot parking expansion is planned.

“It is coming. This time next year, we will have it,” Weiler said.