Springdale airport job backed

Aldermen asked to approve $ 169,500 for improvements

SPRINGDALE — People who use the city’s airport terminal could see renovated facilities in the future if aldermen approve the money at next week’s City Council meeting.

Aldermen at Monday’s City Council committee meeting forwarded to the full City Council a request for $ 169,500 from the capital improvement program to finish renovations at the terminal. The terminal is at 802 Airport Road with the runway east of the building.

The work would include bathroom renovations, new flooring and ceiling work, according to a meeting document. The work will make the building more attractive, said Wyman Morgan, city director of administration and financial services.

Carpet was last installed in the building about 20 years ago, James Smith, airport manager, has said. The bathrooms need new stall partitions, fixtures, paint and new counters and floors, Morgan has said.

The terminal became run down over the past three years with lack of maintenance because officials were waiting to renovate the building, said Neil Johnson, commission chairman.

Mayor Doug Sprouse said he thinks the capital improvement program is in good shape.

Morgan said there is now $ 1.1 million of uncommitted money in the program.

The City Council on Jan. 12 approved allocating up to $ 45,000 in capital improvement program money for exterior work on the terminal. The work includes resealing windows and painting.

A $ 40,000 grant is helping pay for the exterior work, Johnson has said. The grant is to the city from the Northwest Arkansas Economic Development District and on behalf of the commission, Morgan has said.

The terminal was built in the 1980s, Smith has said. It has never been entirely repainted since it was built, but part was painted about 10 years ago.

Work on the windows and the painting is finished, Johnson said. Officials have spent $ 43,000 so far.

“It looks 100 percent better now than it did prior to paint,” he said.

Vehicles were also able to start using a new access drive to the terminal last year, Morgan said. The street comes off Powell Street, winds behind a couple businesses and ends in a one- way loop near the entrance to the airport terminal.