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www.mybaycity.com June 14, 2009
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Want to See What Your New MBS Airport Terminal Will Be Like?
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Expansion Project Funded Without Local Tax Subsidy, 2013 Completion Eyed

June 14, 2009       3 Comments
By: Dave Rogers

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A new terminal under construction at MBS International Airport should make glad the hearts of tri-county area taxpayers as well as travelers.

It should also allow MBS to counter competition from Flint's Bishop Airport.

The new terminal will cost approximately $48 million, and it will not require any current or new local taxes.


(MyBayCity Photos Courtesy of MBS Airport)

Funding from the FAA will make up around 70 percent of the total cost of the new terminal project and the state of Michigan will provide match funding of 2.5 percent (MBS will provide the remaining $10 million of funding for the terminal).

The Airport Commission approved a design in fall 2008 for a new terminal. The building, designed with area travelers in mind, is expected to be complete in three to five years.

Reynolds, Smith and Hills Inc. (RS&H), an aviation design and architectural firm, developed the design after considering the values, culture and priorities of the communities served by MBS. The plan is to create a terminal that is a reflection of the area and that helps travelers look to the future.

Passengers will have meals and drinks available on both sides of the security checkpoints through new food concessions and gift kiosks. A larger more efficient baggage claim area and a larger passenger security screening are aimed at avoiding delays.


(MyBayCity Photos Courtesy of MBS Airport)

The new steel-and-glass terminal will adopt green principles using natural daylight as much as possible as well as sustainable materials such as local white pine and other timber to reflect the lumber industry past of the Saginaw Valley (recycled building materials will be used as well).

The terminal construction will adopt some LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design from the US Green Building Council) principles without seeking formal certification.

"The flowing roof and open design convey the spirit of innovation that has been instrumental to the past and present success of the region," the architectural firm states.

"The interior spaces are flooded with daylight to create a bright, optimistic, uplifting design that is symbolic of the bright future of the area.

"The new terminal is a showcase for sustainability through energy-saving design elements and a commitment to using local materials and suppliers wherever possible.


(MyBayCity Photos Courtesy of MBS Airport)

"Convenience and easy access to the terminal building are top priorities in the overall layout of parking lots, rental car lots and other features."

The terminal is designed to meet the needs of passengers, carriers and other tenants for the long term, with an overall structure that is easy to maintain, efficient to operate and easily adaptable to future needs, according to the plan.

"What we are certain of is that when your new terminal is complete, it will be an efficient, sustainable facility that truly captures the spirit of your region," said Martin Wander of RS&H.

The project is eligible for funding under the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Airport Improvement Program. These funds come from aviation and user fees specifically intended for airport projects.

"Our airport manager and commission have worked diligently to ensure that MBS would benefit from this funding, meeting regularly with FAA officials in Detroit and Washington, D.C. and enlisting the support of our legislators," said Airport Board Chair Dr. Ken Distler, Saginaw orthopedic surgeon.

A key source of funding comes from passenger fees generated by the use of the current facility, set by the federal government at $4.50 per passenger.

Together, these funding sources are expected to cover the entire cost of the new project without incurring any debt.

The current terminal building, opened in 1965, has served the region well for several decades. The steady demand for air service in our region requires that MBS improve its terminal facilities.

MBS International is now the fourth-busiest commercial airport in Michigan and is owned by Bay County and the cities of Midland and Saginaw (controlled by MBS International Airport Commission). The airport covers a site of 3,200 acres and has two runways 8,002 feet long and 150 feet wide and 6,400 feet long and 150 feet wide.

MBS handled 348,281 passengers in 2007, which was a decrease from 382,140 in 2006. There has been a reduction in passenger numbers over the last nine years, which translates into around 500,000 fewer passengers since 1998.

MBS used to be the third-busiest airport in Michigan but has been losing business to nearby Bishop International Airport in Flint, which can offer more flights and cheaper fares.

It is hoped that a new terminal project at MBS will regenerate the airport's fortunes and increase passenger numbers.

Dr. Distler, commented: "With a state-of-the-art airport terminal, we will be well-positioned for economic growth. "The new MBS will give us the efficiency, convenience and image we need for the market access and quality of life we want in mid-Michigan."

The airport commissioned a study in 2005 from the Boyd Group/ASRC of Evergreen, Colorado, which estimated that the economic benefit of MBS International Airport to the tri-county area of Midland, Bay and Saginaw is more than $100 million a year.

On 19 September 2008 the nine-member Airport Commission of MBS International announced the approval of plans for a new state-of-the-art passenger terminal (with a flowing wave-shaped glass roof).

The new 75,000 square foot terminal building was designed by aviation architect Reynolds Smith & Hills of Jacksonville, Florida. The project has qualified for the US Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) improvement program.

The new terminal project was put forward because it was determined that the old terminal building opened in 1965 would be too difficult to extend and remodel. It has not yet been decided what to do with the old terminal when the new one comes into operation. The construction, just north of the current terminal, is expected to be completed by 2013 (three to five-year project time-frame).

The FAA has provided $1.6 million to install water and sewer services as well as purchasing 115 acres of land for the new terminal project.

"The new MBS terminal will showcase a number of updated features."Other related projects funded by the FAA grant include relocating ground radio antennas on the airport site and hiring the architects Reynolds Smith & Hills.


(MyBayCity Photos Courtesy of MBS Airport)



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sunbeamf Says:       On June 15, 2009 at 10:40 AM
I hate to pour cold water on this idea but let me tell you why I--from Bay City--fly out of Flint. First, they have many more choices of airlines so that I can hopefully get a reasonable fare. Second, they are right off the expressway and very easy to get to. Third, it takes me about 45 minutes to get there as opposed to 30 for Tri-City. Tri-City will never be able to compete with Flint unless they get a few more airlines willing to add them to their routes. Flint has the added benefit of drawing passengers from the northern suburbs of Detroit--people who don't want to drive through the mess in Detroit and pay the outrageous parking fees at Metro and wait in the security lines. Good luck to Tri-City but it'll take more than a new terminal to win back my business.
keyboardkid4 Says:       On June 15, 2009 at 08:41 PM
It will be a beautiful building, but unfortunately my wife and I fly out of Flint not because of the building but to save significant dollars. The cost to fly from Flint is anywhere from $75 or more less than a ticket to the same destination from Tri-City, even using the same airline! (Northwest/Delta)
fortune_sue Says:       On June 17, 2009 at 03:19 PM
Lovely conceptual drawings although I do hope that gravity defying overhang is well supported. It isn't likely to surpass Bishop architecturally but that's ok, too. However I totally agree with sunbeamf that the basic reasons most leisure travelers (and probably some business travelers who would not care to be identified) do not fly out of MBS are the following: Higher fares as a rule and absurdly high fares in some cases, limited arrivals/departures, limited connections AND a limited number of airlines from which to choose. Until MBS is able to attract and RETAIN a low-cost carrier(s), Bishop will continue to win out in terms of boardings especially when folks are pinching pennies. My guess is they will drive the extra miles to Bishop to save the $75-200 extra it would cost them to fly from MBS if they feel they must fly to their destination.
Agree? or Disagree?


Dave Rogers

Dave Rogers is a former editorial writer for the Bay City Times and a widely read,
respected journalist/writer in and around Bay City.
(Contact Dave Via Email at carraroe@aol.com)

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