Airport terminal demolition to be split into two projects

After estimates for the demolition of the old Mid-Continent Airport came in higher than expected, the Wichita Airport Advisory Board decided Tuesday to split the task into two projects in an effort to lower costs – one funded by federal grant money, and one not.

The board met in a hurry Tuesday to meet a June 26 deadline to accept an $11 million grant from the Federal Aviation Administration, which would pay for a portion of the airport’s demolition. In order to take advantage of the federal funds, the board voted unanimously to separate the project into two parts – one funded by FAA, and one not – rather than combining it into one, hiking up the cost.

“By splitting the project by FAA and non-FAA, it simplifies the project complexity,” said Victor White, the city’s director of airports. “When you have federal funds involved, there’s a lot of FAA rules, regulations and procedures that absolutely have to be followed by the demolition contractor on the main terminal side. But, theoretically, it should cost less for that part, splitting it into pieces.”

The first project to be put out for bid will be 90 percent supported by FAA funds and will include demolition of the old east and west terminals, the connecting piece between the two and the pavement surrounding the terminals for use by aircraft, White said. The second project to be bid out will be for demolition of the main terminal building, a one-story structure that faces the street. That project will include removing asbestos.

The remaining 10 percent, plus the cost of asbestos removal and the demolition of the remaining building, is “in the budget,” White said, but a number will not be available until after bids have been received.

Asbestos removal could take six to nine months.

“We’ve been told it’s one of the largest asbestos removal projects in Wichita’s history,” he said. “There’s not a lot of contractors that do that kind of work locally, so we’re paying a premium for that.”

After reviewing the plan with city management, White said, the bid process will begin in a couple of weeks to contract the demolition and asbestos removal of the old terminal, the west wing coming first. That portion is more urgent, he said, because it’s blocking the opening of three gates on the new terminal. White said he thinks construction is set to begin in late summer, with asbestos removal first and demolition last. The west wing should be down within a year, White said.

“There’s a really complicated phasing that the contractors have to follow because they have to leave paths open around the new building, between the old one,” White said. “It’s a really complex, sophisticated thing, which is one of the cost factors.”

This story was originally published June 16, 2015 at 7:52 PM with the headline "Airport terminal demolition to be split into two projects."