Plans laid out for new Columbia airport terminal
New plans for a new Columbia Regional Airport Terminal got underway Wednesday.
An engineering firm presented 3 options to the Airport Advisory Board at its monthly meeting.
The current terminal was built in the 1960s.
Members said they hope for a new and modern terminal that can handle more passengers.
Engineers initially had 6 options, but narrowed that number down to 3.
Engineers said the bones of the current building are so bad that the best plan would be to start from scratch instead of trying to remodel.
No plan includes runway improvements, but crews are currently working on two runways.
The current runway improvements are being paid for with a 90-10 split, meaning the federal government is paying for 90% while the city pays for 10%.
However, the Airport Advisory Board President told ABC 17 News there’s no plan yet on how to finance a new terminal.
“We have to figure out how to pay for it locally, so where are those funds going to come from? That hasn’t been decided. The engineering firm will give some thoughts on how they might best finance improvements at the airport,” said Greg Cecil with the Airport Advisory Board.
At this point, there are no costs associated with the terminal options. After more input, engineers will generate a final airport layout plan, which will have to be approved by the FAA.
