Bye Bye Redbird
City of Dallas, tenants invest to create an executive alternative
By John F. Infanger
July 2002
Cutter GM On Secondary Containment ...
Andy
Biery, operations manager for the new Cutter Aviation FBO at Dallas
Executive, recently oversaw construction of a new fuel farm. In
light of recent EPA enforcement of secondary containment requirements
for refuelers, we offer some of his edited comments.
"Our
plans for a new fuel farm have been expanded, scrapped, stretched,
reduced, and alternatives sought.
"When we first learned of [the
secondary containment issue], we tried to scrap our plans to build
a fuel farm as its budget had doubled, and attempted to work out
deals with our neighbors to share existing farms on the field.
"We were eventually informed
that current code, including all new regulations such as offloading
containment, will not be grandfathered and that soon all fuel farms
will be required to comply or be removed from service. At this point,
we determined that it was in our best interest to design a new fuel
farm.
"It has been a long and arduous
process to build a state of the art fuel farm, one which has the
capability to meet future requirements, allows contained parking
of refueler trucks, complies with all regulations today, and will
do so even as we modify it during expansion.
"Is it possible to comply? The
answer is certainly yes. It is expensive? Very."
Location
has always been one of the airport's selling points. As the city says,
"10 minutes and 1 traffic light from downtown Dallas." It is
also adjacent to four Interstates (I-20, I-30, I-35, I-45), but is located
in a direction opposite of most growth during the past 30 years.
As Love Field, also near downtown, has
grown with increasing airline and business aviation activity, the need
for another first class business reliever has emerged, explains the city's
director of aviation Kenneth Gwyn, who is responsible for both airports.
He sees Dallas Executive as an alternative for new tenants, not necessarily
a competitor field to Love, and an opportunity to capture more transient
traffic.
"We're poised to take advantage of
the growth in general aviation, and to be an airport of choice for this
area," says Gwyn. "The real market for this airport is the hobby
flyer and the transient aircraft. There's an opportunity for more based
aircraft, and with an ILS it can be good for training."
Besides the instrument landing system,
the airport offers crosswind runways (6,452 feet and 3,800 feet), a dedicated
aircraft rescue and firefighting facility, and some 50 acres of developable
land for new aviation businesses, explains Dallas Executive airport manager
Marvin Poole. The city is willing to put in the necessary infrastructure,
including taxiways, once significant businesses show a commitment, says
Gwyn.
The airport also has up to 600 acres of
adjacent property for compatible business development, according to the
city.
Stagnant until 1998
Poole worked in airport operations at Love
Field until 1999, when he was offered the Redbird management position.
He recalls, "My first day on the job here I drove up and thought,
what have I gotten myself into? But it's been a drastic change."
Explains Gwyn, "This airport historically
has not had its facilities well maintained."
The airport had been operating under the
management of Redbird Development Company, which was responsible for promotion,
maintenance, and development of the facilities, according to Poole. That
lease was terminated and in 1999 the city took over control of the facilities,
with the intent of revitalizing the airport.
Says Poole, "Everything reverted back to the city, and we broke it
up and leased it out to separate companies."
Adds Gwyn, "Since 1998, approximately
$7.9 million has been invested or committed by the private sector. We
were fortunate to get a number of companies to commit to invest here,
including ones that were already based here and made a commitment for
future investment."
Among the 21 businesses now located on
the airfield are three full-service fixed base operations, including Cutter
Aviation, based in Phoenix, which opened a new executive FBO hangar/office
complex in May.
Gwyn says that the city has sought long-term
leases of 20 to 30 years with major tenants. Current rates and charges
include:
o 13 cents/sq.ft./year for unimproved ground;
o 17 cents/sq.ft./ year for improved ground;
o rental escallation provision, allowing
the city to raise rent every three years not to exceed 12 percent of the
preceding three years.
The airport currently averages just over
100,000 aircraft operations annually, with some 170 based aircraft.
The new master plan
Gwyn terms the effort to attract aviation
businesses to Executive as the first transition. The second transition,
he says, is to build a new terminal and contract control tower. Both are
currently under design.
The tower and terminal are components of
the new master plan developed by Phoenix-based Coffman & Associates,
according to Gwyn. In all, the master plan calls for some $20 million
in improvements at Executive Airport through 2020. At that time, projections
say the airport will experience some 152,000 operations annually and have
some 210 based aircraft. An "ultimate" scenario projects more
than 200,000 annual aircraft operations and some 300 based aircraft. The
existing runways and taxiways will be reconstructed as the plan develops,
according to the city.
A key supporter of the transformation of
Redbird, explains Gwyn, has been the Texas Department of Transportation
(TXDOT), which is offering a 50/50 cost-sharing plan - with a maximum
contribution of $500,000 - for the physical structure of the tower and
a similar proposal (up to $300,000) for the terminal. Gwyn says two of
three current designs call for the tower and terminal to remain connected.
According to the city, some $16.5 million of the total cost of the proposed
master plan is eligible for payment by TXDOT, which distributes general
aviation funding as a block grant state. The city estimates that it will
be responsible for some $3 million of the final redevelopment tab.
Central to the master plan process, explains
Gwyn, was getting neighbors and tenants involved via public hearings.
A Master Plan Advisory Committee was created for their participation.
"The neighbors are concerned about
noise and safety, but they're also supportive of the potential of the
airport for creating jobs and economic development," comments Gwyn.
In fact, he says, it was the advisory committee
that first recommended changing the name of the airport to change the
image. They petitioned the city council, which in February approved the
change, official May 1.
As Gwyn looks to the future, he sees opportunity
for significant hangar development for both light aircraft and corporates.
He doesn't expect growing security concerns to significantly stifle growth
or investment by the city. The airport already has perimeter fencing,
and control gates will be added, he says. The city is working with tenants
on an enhanced security plan, says Gwyn.
