Kerrville-Kerr County Airport Mulls New Lease Agreements

Jan. 13, 2014
Mooney International seeks a new contract with the Kerrville-Kerr County Airport for property leased there for more than 40 years

Jan. 13--As Mooney International begins preparations to resume production of the iconic airplane later this year, the company is seeking a new contract with the Kerrville-Kerr County Airport for property leased there for more than 40 years.

The Kerrville-Kerr County Joint Airport board met in closed session last week to discuss the latest proposal from Mooney International and a proposed contract for a new tenant at the 33-year-old Brinkman hangar. Both properties currently are under month-to-month agreements.

Bruce McKenzie, airport manager, said Friday the board took no action on either proposed contract. The airport board has been in negotiations with Mooney for several months and recently accepted proposals from a yet-identified prospect for the Brinkman site.

Mooney was founded as the Mooney Aircraft Corporation in 1929 but went bankrupt in 1930. The company was restarted in Kerrville in 1949 and produced airplanes until 2008, when the facility all but shut down.

Last year, Mooney announced that through a new investment the company would start up production again this year. No date has been set for when the first planes are expected to roll out but the company has already started hiring.

Now operating under the name Mooney International, the company leases about 40 acres at the city- and county-owned airport for $6,678 per month. Mooney proposed a change to that agreement in 2010, but that change was never finalized.

"They've asked us to review that 2010 proposal that they wanted, and that's what we're trying to do now," McKenzie said.

The exact terms of that proposal have not been made public.

Negotiations are expected to continue with the city, county and airport board and Mooney International.

The city, county and airport board also are negotiating with a proposed new tenant for what has long been called the Brinkman hangar. The 2,600-square-foot building currently is leased for $480 per month, but the current lease holder, Lloyd Brinkman, who uses the building for private offices and housing private aircraft, is not renewing the contract and the airport board began looking for a new tenant months ago.

Because of the ongoing negotiations, details of the proposal, including the proposed new tenant, have not been made public.

The property includes office space and a large hangar. Previous discussions at the airport board have included the possibility of an aviation-related business leasing the property.

McKenzie said he expects the board will continue both contract negotiations this month. The next regularly scheduled airport board meeting is at 8:30 a.m. on Jan. 20. The board is appointed by the city and the county to oversee the airport, including the hiring of the airport manager, budget matters and property leases.