Jan. 11—The Mason City Municipal Airport is gearing up for major changes.

The airport has been conducting surveys to determine the best route for its project to expand the current facility.

After several months of studies and surveys, the airport commission has settled on a proposal and is ready to host public hearings. So what do you need to know about the project ahead of the public hearings later this month?

Why is this happening?

The changes were proposed because Mason City's airport facilities are no longer adequate enough to support its current operations, specifically the daily, 50-person flights from United Airlines to and from Chicago.

According to the draft of the environmental assessment, the lobby and gatehold area are too small to accommodate United's daily service, with the current gate only able to hold approximately 20 passengers comfortably. And with a hope to expand the flight offerings out of Mason City in the future, the current lobby and gatehold area are no longer viable.

The assessment also notes that the airport needs to expand its checkpoint screening area, address facility deterioration, provide a more accessible facility as the current terminal is not ADA-compliant (Americans with Disabilities Act.)

The 2021 terminal predesign study conducted by the Mason City Airport Commission lists 19 total issues with the facility that need addressing.

With the use of the Mason City Airport on the rise — annual enplanements increased from 8,056 in 2019 to 10,200 in 2021 — according to the terminal native report, the need for considerable changes became necessary.

The Proposal

Because significant restoration and renovation of the current facility would be required to move forward with the project, the Mason City Municipal Airport Commission has proposed to construct an entirely new building west of the current facility.

To accommodate the new facility there are also accompanying plans: — Expand the terminal apron to the west to "meet standards for regional jet and narrow-body charter operations," — Extend the access road to provide curbside service to the proposed facility. — Expand the parking area to "increase capacity to meet local municipality parking requirements." — Partially or fully demolish the existing terminal, Federal Aviation Administration annex and restaurant.

A noteworthy reason for choosing this proposal specifically over others being considered was that it allows for the current terminal to continue operations while the new facility is under construction mostly unhindered, according to the assessment.

The new building would address all of the issues cited in the predesign study and would reduce long-term operating costs, according to the assessment.

The details

The proposed structure is estimated to be 22,500 square feet and will be large enough to comfortably hold the current daily enplanements, with plenty of room for additional passengers in the future.

The proposed facility aims to more than double the current annual enplanements, with plans to increase from 10,200 annual enplanements in 2021 to 14,600 in 2026, and 23,900 by 2036.

The cost of construction for the new terminal is estimated to range between $10.8 to $14 million.

The airport commission hopes to begin construction of the new facility in 2022, following approval from the FAA with a completion date in 2024.

The project is required to be complete by May of 2024 in order for the $12 million in federal funding received by the airport to be used.

Alternative options

While the commission has settled on the new facility built to the west as its proposed solution, alternative solutions have been considered.

The commission considered renovating the current airport instead of building a new facility. While renovations are estimated to be cheaper than a new building, with an $8.5 to $11.5 million estimated cost, there were concerns that a remodel could reveal unknown problems with the airport, complicating the project timeline or hiking up the cost. It's also noted that the renovations to the current facility would make operating the airport during the construction period significantly more difficult.

According to the terminal narrative report, the commission also considered building the new facility to the south instead of the west.

The layout of the terminal would be exactly the same if built south of the current facility instead of the west, but constructing it there would result in a much more complicated construction process and would make operating the airport during the construction phase significantly different.

Public hearings

The Mason City Airport Commission will be hosting a pair of public hearings later this month to allow for public input on the proposed project. The hearing will also allow for the commission to outline the "proposed actions potential economic, social, and environmental impacts."

The first public hearing is on Tuesday Jan. 18, 2022 and the second on Monday, Jan. 31, 2022.

Both hearings will be held at the Mason City Municipal Airport, located along Highway 122 West, and start at 4:00 p.m.

Zachary Dupont covers politics and business development for the Globe Gazette. You can reach him at 641-421-0533 or [email protected]. Follow Zachary on Twitter at @ZachNDupont

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