City officials: New airport terminal could take flight if voters pass tax

A plan to construct a new airport terminal could take flight if Cape Girardeau voters approve a quarter-cent sales tax in August.

The city council finalized plans last week to place the proposed tax extension on the ballot to fund various capital improvements, including upgrades to the airport.

Replacing the aging terminal is one of three top priorities for airport improvements, Cape Girardeau deputy city manager Molly Mehner said Monday.

The others are land acquisition and replacement of the air traffic control tower.

Airport manager Bruce Loy said the tax plan marks the first time in his 22 years as airport manager city officials have pushed for a dedicated tax to fund airport improvements.

“It has fantastic potential,” he said.

Both Mehner and Loy said the terminal needs major upgrades.

The roof leaks.

The holding area for passengers awaiting flights after going through security needs to be expanded and equipped with restrooms, Loy said. There are no restrooms in the holding area, only in the lobby, which is outside the secured area.

Loy said the heating and cooling system is in poor shape.

Both Loy and Mehner said the continuing maintenance is costly.

The terminal at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport was dedicated in June 1960. The city made major upgrades to the terminal in 1992, Loy said.

Mehner said, “It doesn’t make a lot of sense to keep pumping money” into the aging terminal. She said it makes sense to construct a new terminal.

At a recent council retreat, officials said the sales tax could generate $4 million for airport projects, $16 million for upgrades to the city’s water system, $6 million for a city hall project and $7 million for street repairs.

But Mehner said Monday officials are still calculating revenue numbers. Some projects might be funded with bonds that would be paid off with the tax dollars, she said.

Both Mehner and Loy said in addition to the sales tax, airport projects would benefit from federal funding if the airport reaches the 10,000 annual boardings threshold.

City officials are optimistic the airport will reach the boardings threshold this year.

Mehner said the city could receive $850,000 a year in added federal dollars for airport projects each year it reaches the boardings threshold.

“That is a big chunk of money,” she said.

She estimated the city could build a new terminal for $5 million or less.

“Obviously, we want a nice terminal, but it does not have to be a Taj Mahal,” Mehner said.

Mehner and Loy said a new terminal would have to be built elsewhere on the airport grounds. The existing airport would remain in operation during the construction, Mehner and Loy said.

The airport also would benefit from a new air traffic control tower, Loy said.

Air traffic controllers now must deal with visual blind spots at the airport because of the location of the existing tower, he said. A new tower could be constructed with a better line of sight, he said.

As for land acquisition, the city wants to acquire 60 acres adjacent to the airport’s northwest boundary for future growth and to protect the airport from encroaching development, Mehner said.

Loy said, “We are slowly running out of land to build new hangars on.” Buying the additional acreage would provide room for more hangars, he said.

While not part of the tax plan, Mehner said city officials continue to study the possibility of constructing new hangars.

In January, Cape Girardeau city officials said they hoped to raze an 18-hangar structure and replace it with a 26-hangar building without spending any tax dollars.

Jackson contractor Phil Penzel proposed setting up a development company that would demolish the dilapidated, pole barn structure and build and manage the new facility.

Under the plan, airplane owners would buy their hangar spaces and have ownership for 40 years. But Mehner said only a handful of owners expressed interest in buying hangar spaces. A majority of owners would prefer leasing space, she said.

City officials plan to resume discussions with Penzel after the air show in May.

mbliss@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3641