In an economic development-charged move, Springfield City Council last night approved a $5.6 million project to literally pave the way for new corporate hangars at the Springfield-Branson National Airport.
Council members unanimously accepted a $5.09 million Missouri Department of Transportation grant, with a 10 percent match, to cover Phase I work for access taxiways and an entrance road to the future home of some 14 new hangars. Based on demand, airport officials expect private airplane owners to build eight corporate hangars as a first step.
“We currently have no hangar development spots for corporate aircraft,” Springfield Aviation Director Brian Weiler told council. “The last thing I want is not having a spot ready for them.”
Airport officials have said 25 general aviation hangars are fully occupied at SGF, as it’s known in airport code, and about 50 private plane operators are on a waiting list for additional hangar space.
Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce officials, and council members speaking last night, consider the east-side general aviation airport a front-door to large-scale economic development in the city. Current users of corporate hangars include Bass Pro Shops, BKD LLP, Great Southern Bank and Killian Construction Co.
Last April, during the 2013 State of the Airport address, Weiler laid out the needs for additional private hangars and general aviation renovations for traveling businesspeople.
He told council members last night the project is two years in the making.
Weiler said the airport also aims to remove outdated or unused facilities and improve the entrance of the former terminal now home to some 850 Expedia employees and growing.
According to the bill, jet charter service Burgess Aircraft Management LLC in September signed a ground lease to privately construct the first hangar, and airport officials are negotiating with another entity on property for a second hangar. Through Burgess Aircraft Management, pilot Mark Burgess operates OzAir Charter Services and maintains about eight aircraft in a 15,000-square-foot fully occupied hangar at the general aviation airport adjacent to SGF.
The grant is written through the State Aviation Trust Fund, Weiler said. The trust fund, designed to aid infrastructure improvements at Missouri airports, is supported solely by a state sales tax on jet fuel. Weiler said SGF has done its part feeding the trust fund on its way to pumping 5.7 million gallons of fuel last year.
With airport board approval and council’s green light, Weiler said the project should start in May and wrap up by October.
MoDOT first awarded the airport a $310,000 grant in 2012 for design work. According to the bill, Phase I development bids were taken Jan. 23, and airport staff is in the process of accepting a bid.[[In-content Ad]]
