JOHNSON -- The planned terminal renovation at Northwest Arkansas National Airport will go ahead, but without a skybridge connecting the parking garage and terminal, board members agreed Wednesday.
Board members decided the $21.3 million estimated for the skybridge could be better spent providing other amenities and services to customers and support efforts to bring the cost of flights down, though several members were hesitant about the move. Architects will develop renderings of the project without the skybridge and bring them back to the board for final approval.
Mike Johnson, who represents Fayetteville on the board, said not having to borrow money for the skybridge project would also allow for budget flexibility.
He said there are several projects that need to be done over the next few years, including the airport access road, a new control tower, a new rental car facility, a new fuel farm and fixed-base operation, a new western concourse, possibly a hotel and more parking.
Philip Taldo, board member from Springdale, said customers have told airport officials what they want.
"When they talk about the positive experiences at the airport, they talk about improvement to baggage handling, they talk about things that were inside the terminal that made their trip from their car to the plane or home faster, more efficient and less annoying," Taldo said. "And then they ask for things that, when they are in the airport, makes that more pleasurable."
The rest of the renovation will go ahead as planned at an estimated cost of $34 million. There will be more elevators, escalators and stairwells; new baggage handling equipment; and renovations to the Transportation Security Administration and police areas. There also will be a host of architectural upgrades including new paint, terrazzo floors, lighting and sound baffles; a new information desk and a canopy along the front of the terminal covering the drop-off area; and new flight information displays.
Nabholz Construction, the primary contractor, gave the airport guaranteed maximum price estimates for the work. Staff were concerned the project would have to be rebid if approval was delayed.
The meeting was a hybrid of a retreat and a special board meeting held at the Northwest Arkansas Council offices in Johnson.
The board also asked staff to negotiate a solar power purchase agreement with Today's Energy. The "net metering" agreement could save the airport $1.2 million over the next 20 to 25 years. Net metering is a billing mechanism using a bi-directional meter that allows solar producing consumers to get credit for the power they produce. The generated electricity offsets the customer's usage over a period of time, allowing the customer to pay for their net usage.
The developer of the solar project would build, own and maintain the facility either on airport-owned land or their own land using their own money. The airport would then enter into a 20-year-plus power purchase agreement with the developer. The airport would have no ownership or major upfront investment.