Officials break ground on $2.7 million airport terminal project

James Beaty, McAlester News-Capital, Okla.
·4 min read

Sep. 26—State, local and tribal officials gathered at McAlester Regional Airport on Tuesday to break ground on a new $2.7 million airport terminal building project.

It's part of an effort to usher in a new era of aviation for McAlester and Southeastern Oklahoma.

"This is a fantastic thing happening in McAlester," Mayor John Browne said during the groundbreaking event.

Browne noted the new airport terminal will be the first thing people see when they land at McAlester Regional Airport.

"It's going to make an incredible first impression," said Browne. Everything the city does is about economic development, he said.

"This is going to make a big difference from the old 1940s terminal," Browne said.

Plans call for the new airport terminal building to be constructed on the spot where the previous one stood. The previous airport terminal building has already been demolished and the debris hauled away.

Approximately one year has been set aside for construction of the new terminal building. In the meantime, McAlester Regional Airport Manager Chase Tindle will operate from the building that was adjacent to the previous airport terminal.

Plans show the new airport terminal building set for construction at McAlester Regional Airport will cover 4,500 square feet. That's compared to 2,500 square feet for the previous terminal.

The $2.7 million project is made possible through federal, state and tribal grants, all in partnership with the city of McAlester.

Through the city's leveraging of state and federal grants, the total cost of $2,761,215.47 will be split several ways.

Project finances break down this way:

—Federal Aviation Administration's share — $919,307.

—Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission share — $869,880.

—Sponsor share (city of McAlester) — $972,028.47, to reach the total project cost of $2,761,215.47.

The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma is donating $250,000 to the city of McAlester through the Choctaw Nation Development Fund to assist with the project.

Browne said the new airport terminal building will contain items relating to the Choctaw culture, which is part of the area's identity.

Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma District 11 Tribal Councilor Robert Karr addressed those present for the Tuesday groundbreaking.

"Economic development is what Southeastern Oklahoma needs," Karr said. "We're glad to have the opportunity to cooperate with the FAA, the Aeronautics Commission and the city of McAlester."

Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics Executive Director Grayson Ardies said he sees McAlester as the hub of Southeast Oklahoma.

"We are obviously very excited," he said of the plans for McAlester Regional Airport, which previously included runway and lighting improvements in addition to the new airport terminal project.

McAlester Regional Airport is one of six sites with airport improvement projects underway, Ardies said.

"McAlester will have the privilege of finishing first," he said.

Ardies said the aeronautics industry is the second largest in the state — and it's his goal to make it the number one industry in Oklahoma.

He said the new terminal building will impact the future.

"There may be some of our kids and grandkids who will be alive in 50 years," he said. "They will thank us."

Prior to the groundbreaking, Project Manager Patrick Barnas and Reed Greenhill of Lochner talked with David Frohling of Architects/Engineers.

All the architectural plans are complete.

"Now it's a matter of building it," Barnas said. "We're excited to see it built."

Among the individuals attending the ceremony were District 18 District Judge Mike Hogan and Jeff Wolf, of the McAlester Airport Advisory Board.

Several additions will be included in the new airport terminal building, including conference room space and classrooms for aerospace instruction.

City councilors took several steps during a May meeting to push the project toward the Tuesday groundbreaking.

They included authorizing Mayor Browne to sign the necessary grant applications and passing a resolution to accept grant funds from the FAA and OAC.

City councilors also authorized the mayor to sign a Task Order Agreement with HW Lochner,, Inc in an amount to exceed $216,200 for construction and inspection services.

Also in May, they accepted a bid totaling $2,292,000, from Jim Cooley Construction — represented Tuesday by Robert Cooley — and authorized the mayor to sign the notice of award and contract for construction of the new terminal building.