NORTH ANDOVER — Big changes are in the works at the Lawrence Municipal Airport to sustain the future of aviation in the Merrimack Valley.
Airport manager Francisco Urena stood on the grass by the parking lot facing the current administrative building and diner where some of those changes will take flight, hopefully within a year, he said.
The municipal airport is rapidly approaching a century in operation and those involved are looking to construct a new administrative building in large part thanks to a $7.1 million commitment from the state.
“This is the closest we have ever been and we’re trying to make a dream a reality,” Urena said.
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation Aeronautics Division awarded a state grant of $204,000 to the airport to be used toward the design of the new administrative building.
The state made the multi-million dollar commitment to the project in a cost-sharing agreement in which it will fund 95% of the project. The airport is on the hook for 5% of the costs. Anything exceeding the committed price or additional costs are the responsibility of the airport and city of Lawrence. The building is estimated to cost $5.2 million to construct.
A new, 7,000 square-foot building will replace the aging, 1952 municipal building which houses a popular diner, administrative offices and a conference room for commission meetings.
Standing outside the present administrative building’s entrance which leads to Dominic’s Diner, bathrooms and offices, Urena pointed to the curbing. He noted how difficult it can be for those with mobility issues to enter the building.
The new structure will be heating and energy efficient, as well as accessible in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The Lawrence Airport Commission has required and led efforts for the new building to offer the same amenities to the airport’s staff, visitors and users. This includes equipping the space with areas for a restaurant, bathrooms, offices and a spot where the commission can hold its meetings.
The building also needs to meet requirements set by the state aeronautical division for municipal airports.
The goal is to have a design ready by fall. The commission will then go through a permitting process with the town of North Andover when the building’s design is completed. Urena said if all goes to plan, construction would start between March and April 2026. The final phase after construction would be to demolish the old building.
Urena said this project was a dream nearly 30 years ago. Urena has a letter sitting in his office filing cabinet from 1997 by the airport manager at the time requesting the state to issue a feasibility of build study for a new administrative building.
A nonarchitectural concept of the Taunton Municipal Airport’s administrative building hangs in the airport’s conference room, showing some inspiration for what the Lawrence one might look like.
While the project comes more into focus, other changes are coming to the airport sooner.
Four new hangars will be added to its site by Labor Day. The hangars range from 3,400 to 7,400 square feet and are a private investment from a company which leases land from the airport.
Amid the new changes, the airport will say goodbye to its restaurant tenant of 11-plus years, Dominic’s Diner. The diner announced Monday that its last day at the airport would be Sunday.
“We’re filled with gratitude for the memories, friendships and opportunities for growth,” diner personnel said in a social media post. “We couldn’t have done it without our loyal customers.”
The diner will reopen at a new location in Haverhill soon. Those at the Lawrence Municipal Airport are looking toward a temporary neighbor in that space.
Urena said he hired a company for an appraisal because it is a municipal building. Once the appraisal is complete, a public process will begin and a formal request for proposal will go out to entertain bids for a new tenant.
Whoever moves into the space will be left with just a shell for the new venture as the fridges, freezers and other equipment will go with the owner when Dominic’s Diner moves out.
Lawrence Airport Commission Chair Sharon Birchall said hopefully the tenant will want to move into the new building after its construction. A bidding process will determine who will be the future tenant. In the proposed, new municipal building, the state only funds the “shell” space. The tenant will have to outfit the restaurant with appropriate equipment, tables and chairs.
Details of where the restaurant will be positioned within the new building are in the works. But Urena said it’s likely visitors to the airport will still have a great view to watch the planes.
“We’re happy to continue the longstanding tradition that the Lawrence Municipal Airport has of providing a welcoming, reliable and financially self-sustainable operation to support the current and future aviation community in the Merrimack Valley and beyond,” Urena said.
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