Sikeston airport to get new terminal

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Sikeston's airport is overdue for a new terminal -- and is on track to get one.

"The current terminal building is in great need of being replaced," said Jay Lancaster, public works director for the city of Sikeston. "Its size and layout does not meet our needs. But the main thing is that the age and condition of the current terminal do not give the first impression that we want to give to prospective businesses for our community."

City officials plan to open bids April 28 for the construction of a new airport terminal building and some other associated work in that area, Lancaster said.

"The new terminal is going to be built just south of the existing one so we can maintain operations," he said. "Once the new building is complete, we will move operations to the new building and then demolish the old one."

As the new building will be located on what is now the parking lot for the terminal, the project also will include redoing the parking area and some fencing, as well as some electrical work and water supply and drainage infrastructure.

"There are a lot of the things near the existing building, such as fuel pumps and beacon lights, that run off power from that building," Lancaster said. "Also, we don't have enough fire hydrants in that area, so we are bringing in some new water lines and establishing a new fire hydrant there."

Plans are for the new terminal to be a 2,000-square-foot building.

"It's going to be a single-story structure on a concrete slab," Lancaster said. "We chose to go with wood framing with a brick exterior and a metal roof. We tried to choose options that provided the most economical design to build while still accomplishing our needs. We trimmed 500 square feet from the original design."

As plans are now, "there's going to be office space for the staff that runs the airport, a large conference room, obviously there will be a waiting area, and there will also be a pilots' lounge," Lancaster said.

After the council makes its selection of a contractor, "they will have to get state and federal concurrence," he said. "The majority of the funding is going to be federal and state funds coming through MoDOT's Aviation Division. We are allotted some funds each year and have been stockpiling them to do a big project."

Pertinent address:

Sikeston, Mo.