Sep. 11—GARY — The Gary/Chicago International Airport Authority approved a long list of contracts Wednesday that included eight for the ongoing passenger terminal renovations undertaken in anticipation of the return of commercial passenger service.
The work, totaling nearly $526,000, is part of an estimated $5 million project to upgrade the terminal and make it compatible with U.S. Transportation Safety Administration standards.
"We've had TSA through our passenger terminal as we are preparing for the return of commercial passenger service here at Gary/ Chicago," Executive Director Dan Vicari said, "and there are a number of things that need to be changed because of the changes required with respect to passenger screening and baggage screening."
Contracts approved Wednesday included doors and hardware, HVAC improvements, flooring, painting, fire protection, plumbing, casework and drywall.
Among pending contracts are one for replacement of the glass curtain wall overlooking the airfield, and two new jet bridges. The latter had been removed prior to UPS beginning to use the terminal for its daily flights.
UPS has now been moved to a facility adjacent to terminal, but continues to operate in front of terminal until the airport finishes new cargo logistics infrastructure at the west end of the airport, Vicari said.
He said there will be some initial overlap between UPS' use of the terminal and return of passenger service, but that won't impact operations.
While still working on a commitment to passenger service, airport officials are confident it's imminent.
"All these improvements are there to accommodate TSA and take the opportunity now before we have the return of commercial passengers to update the facility and modernize it," Vicari said.
The work is anticipated to be completed this year.
The Airport Authority also approved a pair of contracts totaling nearly $1.8 million for a pre-engineered metal building and hangar door for a new hangar near the east end of the airport to be constructed by Hasse Construction and occupied by Sage-Popovich, an aviation consulting and managing company already a tenant at the Gary airport.
And, the board approved four contracts totaling $2.7 million for basic infrastructure for another new hangar to be occupied by the firm Wingtip Aviation. The $12 million, 47,000-square-foot hangar is being built by the airport with the support of a $1.3 million state READI grant.
The hangar's completion is expected in the first half of next year.
In other business, the airport entered into a memorandum of understanding with the City of Gary in regard to the anticipated need to reroute Airport Road to accommodate the potential extension of the airport's crossing runway.
As a first step, Gary will serve as the grantee of any federal money acquired for preliminary engineering work. The airport, through the MOU, would be responsible for the anticipated 20% local match required for the federal money.
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