David Rolla believes that as “one of the first impressions visitors get of the city,” the Concord airport has to create a more welcoming space.
With air traffic at the airport on the rise, a much-needed upgrade is on the horizon to do just that, according to Rolla, the manager of Concord Municipal Airport, and other city officials.
This upgrade is following a series of renovations in 2018, which were intended to improve the look and function of the airport that was built in 1937. The new plan, for which Concord City Council heard a presentation prepared by Jacobs Engineering group, is a project to build a new terminal building for the airport as well as to free up land for the potential construction of a new hangar.
The previous renovation included electrical upgrades, new furniture and carpets, televisions, a new paint job and Wi-Fi. This one will entirely replace the existing building with a new one. Deputy City Manager Carlos Baía said that the previous renovations were largely funded through donations of materials and services by the late Joe Alosa, the Airport Advisory Committee chairman at the time. “Both the city and Mr. Alosa understood that the lobby improvements were largely cosmetic and that they might only serve as a transition to at time when a new terminal could be built,” Baía said.
Baía said that the motivation for the project was twofold. Part of it was that the airport has “been trending upward over the last few years” in terms of community use, following a “significant” post-2008 recession drop. But, Baía said, “the more pressing motivation is the fact that the existing terminal building is well beyond its useful life,” with many issues that need to be addressed.
Among these issues, Baía said, are that the building has “hazardous materials throughout,” that it does not comply with Americans with Disabilities Act building codes, and that it does not meet “life safety, and energy requirements.”
“In addition,” Baía said, “the existing building’s floor plan is not adequate for use with modern-day terminal functional requirements.”
The presentation listed priorities for the potential new terminal, such as representing the state of New Hampshire, providing the community with an enhanced space, aligning with the city’s carbon reduction initiatives, and providing for current and future needs of the airport.
Additionally, Baía said that the potential new hangar “could be used to house additional aviation-related businesses at the airport,” which could “serve as a source of additional revenue” for the airport.
The project is currently estimated to cost $2.5 million, a number that according to Baía includes the demolition of the existing building, preparation of the building site, and construction of the new terminal. Baía also said that approximately $600,000 is expected to be made available from the Federal Aviation Administration for this project.
Currently, said Baía, the project is scheduled in the City’s Capital Improvement Program for design, engineering and permitting in the fiscal year 2024, with construction to follow in fiscal year 2026. These dates are in flux, however, as Baía said that they could be “brought forward earlier or pushed back depending on Council’s direction.”
As for those working at the airport, Rolla said they are pleased at the prospect of a new terminal. “It’s always good to refresh things that are the gateway to the city,” Rolla said.