Airport receives terminal money

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by Eric Olson|ret||ret||tab|

SBJ News Editor|ret||ret||tab|

eolson@sbj.net|ret||ret||tab|

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Springfield-Branson Regional Airport officials Aug. 23 received the first of two major appropriations for design of a new $146 million midfield terminal. A $3 million Federal Aviation Administration appropriation will fund phase I design services for the new commercial terminal building, which is under way, said Sherry Wallace, airport spokesperson.|ret||ret||tab|

"This was promised to us a year ago. It is now coming in," Wallace said. "The planning money is essential to the success of the new airport's functional design."|ret||ret||tab|

Architectural design firm Reynolds, Smith and Hills Inc. of Jacksonville, Fla., has been presenting design concepts to the airport board. The firm was hired in November 2003.|ret||ret||tab|

Total design costs are expected to exceed $8 million, Wallace said. Another $4 million federal appropriation is earmarked to fund the final architectural and engineering designs. The city of Springfield is required to match those federal dollars, usually with a 5 percent match. Springfield City Council met in special session Aug. 24 to accept the $3 million appropriation and contribute a match of $157,895 to the design project.|ret||ret||tab|

Southwest Missouri Congressman Roy Blunt and Sen. Kit Bond won congressional approval for both federal appropriations.|ret||ret||tab|

"The best way to guarantee future economic growth is to make sure that our infrastructure is up to par," Bond said in a news release. "These dollars ... are an investment in southwest Missouri's future."|ret||ret||tab|

Wallace said the airport is expected to ask for a total of $100 million in federal money.|ret||ret||tab|

Before receiving the $3 million appropriation, the airport used a $325,000 federal grant it received in 2001 to fund an environmental assessment. Earlier this summer, the airport received environmental clearance from the FAA to go ahead with the project.|ret||ret||tab|

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