BENTONVILLE -- Development opportunities on the municipal airport's west side are closer to reality as bids for a parallel taxiway came in favorable.
There is about 600 feet of taxiway on the northwest side of the 4,426-foot runway. A full taxiway would allow for more hangars to be built on the west side as well as increase safety at the airport, officials said.
Flight center
Crossland Construction is on site where the new flight center will be built on the northwest corner of the municipal airport grounds. Ground work should begin soon.
The two-story flight center will house Summit Aviation, the airport’s fixed-base operator, and include a restaurant, exhibit hangar, meeting rooms and a retail space.
Source: Staff report
Three project options included building the middle section of the taxi and complete it with lights, building the whole taxiway and complete it with lights or building the whole taxiway but leave out the lightning.
Adam White with Garver Engineers recommended going with the third option. His bid came in at $1.61 million when he presented to the Airport Advisory Board on June 8.
"It doesn't make sense to have to come back later and do two separate construction areas," he said.
The city has $1.57 million in planned Federal Aviation Administration grant money that would be used for the project.
The city can apply for another $700,000 FAA grant in the fall to add lights and finish the project.
The whole project could be completed by spring of next year, White said.
"I think it's the way to go," said city engineering director Travis Matlock, emphasizing the assurance letter and contract needed to be clearly stated so there was no risk to the city.
The City Council will have to approve the contract before work can begin.
"That's exciting news," chairman Brian Baldwin said. "That's about five years worth of excitement all packaged into one afternoon."
The west side parallel taxiway has been discussed for close to 10 years, Mayor Bob McCaslin has said.
"It's been a dream to have a parallel taxiway," he said. Money always has been the roadblock, he said.
"It's a huge safety element for us," Baldwin, who also is a pilot, said June 9.
Baldwin, who owns the hangar on the west side to the north, said if conditions are such that he needs to take off to the north, he has to taxi down the runway and turn around before taking flight.
"The most important part is managing the amount of time any aircraft is on an active runway that is not taking off or landing," he said.
It will also "open up the west side of the airport for hangar construction," Matlock said.
There are 14 hangars at the airport, 13 of which are on the east side, which is nearing capacity. There is one hangar on the west side and three more at various stages of construction.
The number of aircraft based at the airport continues to increase. There were 63 in 2014 and 77 now. The airport plan predicts there will be 111 by 2035.
The plan, adopted in July 2016, calls for developing 52,900 square feet of conventional hangars as well as more T-hangars over the next 20 years.
"We're really attempting to be a destination for general aviation," Baldwin said of the airport's long-term vision. Attracting more pilots to town means more use of the hotels, more visits to the museums and more sales in airport fuel and services.
"It really ties in with the vision for the growth of the city," he said.
NW News on 06/13/2017