A 1940s-era terminal building at Pryor Field Regional Airport that a group of pilots wanted to restore for a museum will instead be demolished to make way for the addition of new hangars to accommodate a growing wait list.
The airport authority board voted 3-2 last week to accept the lowest quote to tear down the building, which dates back to Pryor Field’s time as a World War II Southeast Air Forces Training Center. The building is attached to one of the airport's two original hangars.
"We are taking steps to preserve history,” said airport manager Adam Foutz. “We’re exploring ways to renovate both of those hangars.”
Foutz said the terminal building hasn’t been used in about 20 years and was becoming a safety hazard.
The airport now has 113 corporate and personal aircraft in 60 hangars, he said, and there are plans to build 10 new hangars of various sizes, for a mix of business and personal aircraft.
“We’re trying to accommodate our capacity needs,” he said.
Roger Minor, one of the three members of the airport authority board supporting the demolition, said: “We have a 37-person wait list for hangars at Decatur, and I feel it was the right decision to go ahead and demolish the building.”
Others voting Tuesday to accept the low quote of $23,750 for the project were Bryan Johnstone and Clint Shelton, and voting against were chairman Nathan Fowler and John Scherff.
The terminal building sits on “premium property for new hangars,” with utilities and a ramp, Minor said. “It’s the best use of the property.”
He said the airport needs “revenue-generating property, and hangars are revenue generating.”
But a pilot who manages the flight school at the airport was disappointed by the move.
Judith Burleson, the manager of Learjetjohn Aviation, has worked for the last couple of years with a group of several pilots at the field who wanted to see the building restored and used. In March, the airport authority agreed to a 60-day stay on awarding a demolition bid to allow the group time to formulate a preservation plan.
A proposal from the volunteer group for an educational flying museum, including a business plan for renovation funding and ongoing expenses, was introduced before the vote last week. Burleson said a “significant” amount had been pledged toward the effort but would not provide a specific amount. The minutes of the May board meeting show she told its members that $36,000 had been committed at that time.
“This is the only Alabama World War II Army Air Force Training Center in this region that has remained in continuous use since 1941,” Burleson said. “Not only was this a primary training facility for over 1,000 pilots per year in the Boeing PT-17 Stearman, but it also served as a major hub after the war for Southern Airways, which eventually became part of Delta Airlines.”
She said Pryor Field’s historical significance earned it a listing on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.
“We are very disappointed and sad to see the monument to the greatest generation being destroyed, as well as the opportunity for the public to be a part of and participate in this rich history,” Burleson said.
She also said she realizes more hangars are needed at the airport.
"We're all in favor of progress," she said.
Minor said he admired the dedication of the group.
“They put out a considerable amount of effort into this, but it came to a point where it was time to move on,” Minor said.
Fowler said he voted against the demolition because at the time of the vote, the airport didn't have a funding arrangement finalized for the hangar project.
“I saw no reason to continue with the demolition until we have funding in place,” he said. “I would like to see the building saved, but in the end, it came down to what’s feasible.
"The authority is still interested in saving the heritage of Pryor Field and showcasing” its history.
He said even after demolition of the terminal building, “two World War II-era hangars and associated buildings" will still be standing.
Minor said late last week that he expects the authority to consider a financing plan for the hangar project in the next two weeks, with construction starting within the next 90 days.
Other ongoing improvement projects at Pryor Field include maintenance work on the runway. The runway is expected to be closed beginning Tuesday through Sunday morning to complete that work.
The airport authority was also awarded $340,844 for a project to seal cracks and apply a seal coat and new markings to the airport’s taxiway that’s roughly 6,600 feet long and 50 feet wide, according to Foutz.
He expects the project, which will help prolong the life of the taxiway, to start next month.
The Federal Aviation Administration will pay 100% of the allowable costs as part of the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security) Act benefits to Pryor Field.
— [email protected] or 256-340-2438. Twitter @DD_MAccardi.
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