'We're about to take off': Design for Stillwater Regional Airport terminal released

Jul. 12—McFarland Architects owner Connie McFarland shared the conceptual design for Stillwater Regional Airport's new terminal at Monday's City Council meeting.

Her company was chosen in 2015 to design the terminal after Oklahoma State University pledged $2 million to bring commercial air service to Stillwater.

She began her presentation explaining the project's history. A temporary terminal — which would be used to build the new one — was put in place immediately following the 2015 announcement. A building for holdings and a building for TSA would then be added.

"We met frequently to try to make sure we had our arms around what was happening in the airline industry, as well as what might be happening at Stillwater so we could make sure and have everything sized correctly," McFarland said. "Then in 2021, November, we were excited to hear that the bipartisan infrastructure legislation had passed."

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law authorized up to $108 billion to support federal public transportation programs, according to the Department of Transportation. The FAA then awarded roughly $1 million in funding to the Stillwater Regional Airport.

From there, the team visited Manhattan Regional Airport in Kansas and Paine Field Airport in Everett, Washington, to better understand a smaller terminal layout for commercial air travel and mocked it for the Stillwater airport. McFarland said the No. 1 priority was making the the terminal a good size for the Stillwater community and a size that will last until 2050.

"We got the understanding of the flow," McFarland said. "This particularly design allows you to move quickly through, but we're letting so much light in. Everybody's going to enjoy the opportunity to walk through the building."

COVID-19 delayed much of McFarland's work, so the City of Stillwater had the Federal Aviation Administration review the multiyear contract to ensure it was still valid, Deputy City Manager Melissa Reames told the News Press.

"It was a contract that had some age on it, and we wanted to make sure that FAA was still in agreement that it was a viable contract," Reames said.

After explaining the terminal's interior, McFarland unveiled the theme, "Red Dirt."

"It was actually Rep. (Trish) Ranson's (idea)," McFarland said. "That helped us make decisions from there until the time we moved in. We are trying to represent the earth, the red earth, the indigenous earth that is here, but we also wanted to talk about the inside, maybe some red dirt music playing."

McFarland continued with her presentation, taking the audience through the 31,275 ft. building. She said the wing form on the north side of the building represents the feeling of flight. The back of the building is covered in large windows.

All of the furniture and decorations inside go with the red dirt theme.

Inside, there is an inclusivity area that allows individuals to sit in the plane. This will help calm their nerves if they are anxious about flying. This feature allows them to gain the full experience of being on a plane before they board.

Among the many inside features are two concession stands, a nursing room and a wellness room for people who need to calm down. There is also a Service Animal Relief Area (SARA) that will alleviate lines and checkpoints with animals.

"The building really talks about sports and it really talks about agriculture, and we believe it talks about this part of Oklahoma," McFarland said. "It's not just arbitrary where you can put it anywhere. It's Stillwater."

Mayor Will Joyce said he was a big fan of the design and that it is something that the community will be proud of.

McFarland has help from many companies including Mead & Hunt, Inc. — an engineering and architecture company that has done all of the planning for the terminal — national engineering and architecture firm Parkhill, LVR, Wells Design and many others. McFarland said the terminal took a team of about 20 to 25 to get the project to 30%, which is the percentage of where it was on Monday.

A two-year construction time is expected for the project. The team is hopeful that they can begin construction next spring and move in the summer of 2026.