Carson City Airport plans: refurbish North apron, terminal

Carson City Airport Authority moved forward with plans both to refurbish its deteriorating terminal and rehabilitate its north apron.

The authority approved plans to seek bids to replace the terminal’s leaking roof as the authority looks for funds or possibly grants to pay for the project.

An informal estimate from a contractor suggested replacing the roof would cost in the range of $50,000.

The roof itself would cost about $35,000 while extending the eaves, which now allows water to pool on the roof, would cost $6,800.

Adding in the cost of obtaining permits for the job might bring it close to $50,000, estimated Don Peterson, the authority’s vice chair.

“This was not a formal quote but the contractor said it would take about $80,000 to completely rehab the building,” said Peterson, which would include work to remove mold on the interior.

Peterson said the authority had several options for the building to consider, including a complete rehab of the building inside and out, demolishing the structure, shuttering it, or doing the restoration in stages, starting with the roof.

The authority moved to develop a request for proposals for replacing the roof as it searches for the means to pay for it.

The authority also voted to accept a bid from Granite Construction to redo the airport’s north apron.

The project includes reconstruction of all the pavement, two concrete pads to park heavy aircraft, fixing and moving the perimeter fence, lining the apron and reconstruction of the access road including the gate, said Jim Clague, group manager, aviation services at Atkins North America Inc.

Four contractors bid and Granite’s $2,352,352 bid was the lowest.

The authority moved to accept the bid contingent on receiving a grant from the Federal Aviation Administration.

If approved, the FAA will provide $2,503,125. The total project, with construction management and airport administration costs added in, would be $2.67 million, leaving the airport to fund $166,875.

The airport may be able to raise some funds through the sale of basalt rock on its property.

In the last four years, the airport has generated $160,000 in revenue from the sale of the rock, Tim Rowe, airport manager, said.

Rowe said the rock is in greater demand now. Granite Construction is using it for the I-580 extension so Rowe thinks sale of it might bring in $150,000 over the next two years.

At its meeting next month, the authority will hear from the Carson City Building Division about allowing commercial tenants at the airport to receive so-called over the counter permits for small projects such as replacing a water heater or adding an air conditioner without the approval of the airport authority first.

The authority may also hear about a proposal from the U.S. Marine Corp. to conduct operations at the airport for five days in June, which include staging aircraft and billeting 180 Marines.