SPRINGDALE — Those flying into the Springdale Municipal Airport could soon use a refurbished terminal, if the City Council agrees to foot the bill.
The Airport Commission on Thursday chose a plan for terminal renovations that would add more space to the building and give the outside an updated look.
At A Glance
Springdale Municipal Airport
The number of operations at the airport over the last five years. Operations include take-offs and landings.
2012*24,983
2011*26,337
2010*28,969
2009*33,007
2008*31,322
Source: City Of Springdale
“I think this plan gives the terminal more flexibility,” said Greg Willoughby, commission chairman. “If we have to repurpose some areas later, we will be able to do that.”
The terminal was originally built in 1984, Willoughby said. It has not been upgraded since, he said.
The renovation could cost as much as $1 million, according to estimates from Miller Boskus Lack Architects, the firm that designed the plan. The money to pay for the renovation will have to come from the city’s Capital Improvement Program fund, said Wyman Morgan, city director of administration and finance. The airport fund doesn’t have enough money, he said.
The terminal at Fayetteville’s airport was renovated in 2006, said Ray Boudreaux, airport director. After the airlines left for Northwest Regional Airport, the terminal had to be converted from commercial use to general aviation, he said. The cost was about $350,000.
The Rogers Municipal Airport terminal building is not owned by the city, said David Krutcher, airport manager. The building belongs to Beaver Lake Aviation, the fixed-base operator at the airport and a subsidiary of Walmart, he said. It is located on land leased from the city.
The Beaver Lake Aviation terminal has been updated with private money, Krutcher said.
Plans show the Springdale renovations would include updating the bathrooms to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The area connecting the first and second floors with an atrium would be filled to create more floor space for a lounge area. A deck off the second floor overlooking the runway would run about half the length of the building. The deck would have a roof over it with fans and radiant heating.
“I think that would lengthen the time the deck could be used from five to six months to 10,” Willoughby said.
The dining room and kitchen of the restaurant would be expanded. The restaurant could use the deck and the lounge area for overflow seating, said Audy Lack, architect.
Two rooms would be added below the second-floor deck, a conference room and a pilot lounge. The reception desk would be moved to the center of the first floor. Usage of other rooms on the first floor would be adjusted.
The outside of the terminal would be updated with new paint. Large windows would be added to the center stairwell and canopies would be installed over two entrances to the ramp. The terminal entrance from the parking lot is covered by a canopy.
Marion Smallwood, a pilot, suggested adding glass on the sides of the canopies, to protect pilots from blowing rain. The cost of adding glass would be prohibitive, Willoughby said, with the few number of days blowing rain would be a problem.
The plan was approved by a 4-1 vote, with Bill Schoonover voting against.
Too much money was allotted to expanding the restaurant, Schoonover said. He would rather see the money used to paint the city-owned hangars.
“When you land at the airport, you see a different color on each set of hangars,” Schoonover said. “We need to make them look better.”
The proposed renovations are scheduled to go before a council committee on Aug. 5, then on to a full council meeting on Aug. 13, if the committee approves.
Kathy Jaycox, a council member who once served on the Airport Commission, said she is willing to hear what the commission proposed. She said she is not sure, however, if she will vote to pay for the renovations.
“The commissioners are very frugal people who’ve done a good job with their money,” Jaycox said. “As an economic generator, I’m not sure the benefits outweigh the expense at this time.”
Commissioners have pointed to a 2006 study by the Arkansas Aeronautics Board of the Arkansas State Airport System. That study determined at that time the Springdale Municipal Airport created, either directly or indirectly, 246 jobs with a total payroll of $5.9 million. The total economic impact was $18.6 million, according to the study.