Airport construction project awaits permits

Thursday, March 10, 2005

By Patrick Ferrell, The Star

Lansing officials have secured nearly all the necessary permits for a much-anticipated construction project at the Lansing Municipal Airport, the airport's manager said this week.

"I want to say that 90 percent of them are complete," Robert Malkas said. "We'll know for sure at the end of this week."

Permits are necessary from several agencies, including the Army Corps of Engineers and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago.

The $1.8 million construction project calls for new taxiways and aprons, as well as a new automobile parking lot and entrance to the airport at Wentworth Avenue and Glenwood-Lansing Road.

If the village receives all of the permits shortly, the Illinois Department of Transportation's Division of Aeronautics would put the project out to bid during the state's April bid letting, Malkas said.

That means groundbreaking could happen by June, and the project likely would be complete by the end of the year.

The village board next week plans to approve a contract with Lansing-based Industrial Commercial Services.

The company is providing the local share of the project's funding - about $400,000.

The state is picking up the other $1.4 million tab.

In exchange for picking up Lansing's share, Industrial Commercial Services will have site control to build as many as 10 new buildings over five years. The buildings will house airport-related businesses.

Industrial Commercial Services submitted the only bid on the project last year, but a final contract was pending while the village awaited permits.

"It takes a while to get the permits for a project like this," Malkas said. "We've been working on it for the better part of a year."

The village has been particularly proud of the project because of the public-private partnership created by the company's willingness to fund the village's share of the grant.

Industrial Commercial Services already has a number of businesses in mind for the new area, Malkas said.

Neither the village nor the company would release specifics, however.

"Everything is pretty conceptual at this point," Malkas said. "We're all waiting to make a final commitment until the state gives us the OK to bid the project."

Patrick Ferrell may be reached at pferrell@starnewspapers.com or (708) 802-8832.