More airport funds approved
County authority picks new representative for terminal project
Another $2.9 million in spending was approved Friday in conjunction with plans for the $1.1 billion modernization of Pittsburgh International Airport.
Allegheny County Airport Authority board members awarded a contract of up to $1.95 million to Paslay Management Group to serve as the owner’s representative for the project, which includes the construction of a new landside building for ticketing, security, and baggage claim.
Fort Worth, Texas-based Paslay replaces R.W. Block Consulting, which originally was hired to be the authority’s owner’s rep on the modernization.
Christina Cassotis, the authority’s CEO, said the change was made after the person overseeing the project for R.W. Block was reassigned. She said Paslay president R. Clay Paslay has worked on numerous terminal projects throughout his career.
“It’s a better fit,” she said. Paslay will serve as the authority’s eyes and ears on the massive project, which also includes the construction of new roads and a parking garage.
“We’ve got an airport to run and we needed to bring in additional resources from an owner’s perspective to move the project forward,” she said.
The up to $1.95 million approved Friday is for the first year of a four-year pact. Additional amounts will be awarded through contract amendments, according to the authority.
In a separate action, board members approved a $995,000 increase in an existing $300,000 contract with PFM Financial Advisors, LLC to help the authority with the bond issue related to the modernization.
The authority plans to finance the work through bonds using revenues from the airlines, concessions, parking, and natural gas drilling. Officials have said no county taxpayer dollars will be used.
Friday’s approvals came a month after the authority’s board awarded more than $7 million in contracts to hire construction managers for the project.
Under the modernization plan, the new landside building will be tucked between the C and D arms of the existing airside building for boarding and getting off planes. The number of gates will be cut from 75 to 51, although more could be added in the future.
Site preparation is expected to start by the end of the year. The new terminal is scheduled to be finished in 2023.
The authority has said the modernization is needed to right-size the airport after the loss of the US Airways hub in 2004. Pittsburgh International now serves mostly local travelers, as opposed to serving those making connections as it did in the days of the hub.
The project has come under fire from Tasso Katselas, the original architect of the midfield terminal, and from state House Speaker Mike Turzai, R-Bradford Woods, both of whom have questioned its need.
Also Friday, the board approved a ground lease with Cincinnati developer Al. Neyer LLC to construct a 125,000-square-foot building at Clinton Commerce Park. The developer has a tenant lined up for the one-story space, Ms. Cassotis said.
The new building will be Al. Neyer’s fifth at Clinton Commerce Park, which is controlled by the authority.
The developer will pay 20 cents a square foot for the 370,696 square feet it will lease. Annual revenue is estimated at $74,139. Rates will vary over the term of the 50-year lease, according to the authority.