New Freeman Airport Terminal Under Construction

Feb. 22 -- From the front steps of the airport manager's office at Freeman Municipal Airport, work on a new terminal building across the street is obvious.

Construction crews have begun work on the airport terminal, a project that was only a dream until authority members signed the construction contract in October 2006 with Bradshaw Building Specialties of North Vernon.

"It will give the airport a much better front door to pilots who come into Seymour," airport Manager Don Furlow said.

The new facility will offer pilots better services, such as a lounge, computer for their use and weather data, he said.

The project will be completed in two phases and cost about $700,000, mostly federal funds with some from the Airport Authority's budget. The federal funds are federal aviation grants that come to the airport annually.

Still tweaking the details of the building, board members approved two motions to make the building what they want Monday night at their regular meeting.

The first change moved the front door back to ramp side of the building to provide more direct access from planes to the building. Furlow, who presented the changes, said the cost of that change is $11,545.

The second change was to go ahead and pour the concrete and to tile the second floor of the building during the first phase of construction. The second floor will be finished later.

Furlow provided estimates from Bradshaw Building Specialties on this process, which will cost about $11,000.

Optimistic the building will be finished around June, Furlow said the building his office is in currently will hopefully be leased once his office is moved. The office is a World War II remnant of when the airfield was built to train pilots for the war effort.

According to the contract, Bradshaw has 240 work days to complete the project, Furlow said. Recently, crews have not been able to work because of the weather.

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