OTC to consider leasing airport terminal

And when Springfield-Branson National Airport’s new terminal opens in about a year and a half, it will be left with thousands of empty square feet.

One’s problem may be the other’s solution.

OTC President Hal Higdon and airport Director of Aviation Gary Cyr are expected to begin discussions this fall about OTC leasing space in the airport’s old terminal, which will be unused after the new $119 million Midfield Terminal opens in December 2008.

“Airports are always looking for ways to generate revenue that are not tied directly to aviation,” Cyr said in an airport news release. “Aviation revenue tends to be volatile – it goes up and down with airline economic cycles. Leasing the old terminal will diversify our revenue streams.”

OTC Director of Public Relations and Communications Joel Doepker said it’s too early to speculate what OTC would use the space for but said it would allow the school to expand its technical and workforce development programs and relieve pressure at its Chestnut Expressway campus, which is about at capacity.

“At our main campus, there’s not too many rooms that are available – we have serious space issues,” Doepker said. “Space would be welcome.”

OTC has exhibited steady growth in recent years, spawning a need for a campus in Ozark that can accommodate about 2,000 students; classes began there in January. Meanwhile, total enrollment for the fall semester is up 3.4 percent from last year, when registration reached 10,000 students for the first time.

Doepker said if an agreement is made with the airport, OTC likely would not occupy its entire 150,000 square feet. He said the school may consider leasing additional space to rent out to other entities, as well.

And could the terminal’s unique facilities lend itself to an OTC aviation-training program?

“I think it’d be a great fit, certainly,” Doepker said. “We’re so premature, I’d hate to say for sure, but the college is always looking into any programs that are going to help the community, and if aviation is something that would help this community, we would certainly be open to that possibility.”

A lease with the airport would include about 1,300 parking spaces at the terminal, according to the release. Any agreement would need to be approved by the governing boards of both OTC and the airport.[[In-content Ad]]