Chelan Douglas Port To Start $4.2 Million Airport Hangar Project

The Chelan Douglas Regional Port Authority is moving forward to build infrastructure for a taxiway and hanger project at Pangborn Airport. 

Port Commissioners signed off Tuesday on a nearly $4.2 million plan to extend the airport's Taxiway B and make site improvements before hangers will be built. 

Selland Construction of Wenatchee submitted the lowest bid for the project and will be responsible for pavement demolition, excavation and backfill, underground utilities, base course, paving, pavement markings, chain-link fence and gates, lighting and signage, topsoil and reseeding of disturbed areas, and other improvements. 

The project includes an 800-by-50-foot extension of Taxiway B, with eight development-ready sites (down from a previous plan for nine) for future hangars and 2,000 feet of new roadway to access the area in Phase 1 of the entire project. 

Phase 2 will double the number of hangar sites.  

Funding for the Phase 1 project includes a $2,083,301 grant from the Federal Aviation Administration, plus a Regional Port Capital Contribution of $1,471,323. 

The remaining funding will come through a $ 316,301 Capital Facilities Charge for Pad A of the eight hangar buildings and a $298,282 Capital Facilities Charge for the Pad B hangar. 

The Capital Facilities Charges will likely change because of a reduction in the hangar pads from nine to eight. 

The Port is negotiating with Airlift Northwest, an air medical transport helicopter service of the University of Washington Medical Center, to build and occupy Pad A. Airlift Northwest would pay the Capital Facilities Charge for Pad A 

An unnamed private company is slated to pay the Capital Facilities Charge of Pad B. 

Port Director of Airports Trent Moyers told Port commissioners at their Tuesday meeting that the Port will need to do its part before other interested parties will line up to build hangers on the pads. 

"It seems to me, and it's just an opinion, that those that might build are wanting to see that we do our part of the project," said Moyers. "The commitment may not come until we've committed to doing the project." 

The Washington Army National Guard is scheduled to move into the airport's Executive Flight Building early next year. 

Moyers says parties with planes currently parked in that building will be looking for a new home. 

"We have our tenants in the Executive Flight Center right now that are going to be displaced," Moyers said. "I think you're going to see those aircraft want to be in hangars by wintertime. And if it's not here, then where?" 

Moyers also noted the aircraft in the airport's General Aviation building will also have to be moved during its upcoming renovation. 

The nearly $4.2 million cost of the Port’s infrastructure project is a reduction from the original estimate of roughly $4.47 million.