By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
Could privately built airport hangars be in the future for Bowie Municipal Airport?
It was an idea broached by an area business man and supported by a council member, who asked for a discussion on Monday’s agenda.
The city council also received what is expected to be the final change order for the Nelson Street project and delayed making a final contractor payment as the punch list has not been completed.
It has been one month since Nelson Street opened as a through street after nearly two years of being closed due to a collapsed section then under repair. This change order is an overall reduction in the contract amount of $49,923.25.
It includes a reduction of $11,935.59 in a contingency allocation, plus liquidated damages of $6,650 to the contractor, MX Construction, who was fined $700 a day for nine and a half days when the company did not attain “substantial completion” by the required date.
It also includes additional engineering fees of $29,337.66 associated with the reinforcing required for the deficient bridge deck on the new culvert bridge. The change order explains the contractor did not build the bridge deck as required by the contract documents. In lieu of tearing out the deck and starting over, the owner allowed the existing deck to remain only if it was adequately reinforced.

Airport hangars
David Cassel, a builder and developer out of the Metroplex, made a pitch to the council about a 50-year lease on land at the city airport where he would like to build airport hangars, which he would in turn lease.
He explained while he knew there had been 25 and 30 year leases, he believes there is no way to get a successful return in today’s market with interest rates and material and labors costs without a longer lease.

Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News. Also in your weekend News read the public comments made at Monday’s council meeting

Top photo – (Left) This private hangar was build about two years and the property has a 30-year lease at $1,200 a year. Any future hangars would have to be built on this side of the airport just past these buildings. (Photo by Barbara Green)