Council Approves $3.1 Million Airport Terminal Construction Phase

The Stillwater City Council approved the next phase of construction for the new airport terminal, authorizing $3.1 million for roadway, drainage, and detention work. The project, which includes a roundabout to improve traffic flow and safety, receives significant federal funding through a $3 million Federal Aviation Administration grant.

During Monday's meeting, Engineering Director Candy Staring presented details of Project Work Package #3, which was advertised in December 2024 with bids opened on Jan. 22, 2025.

"The PWP#3 base bid work plus the selected alternates totals $3,124,479," Staring explains. "This price includes general conditions, project requirements, subcontractor bids, contingency and the CMAR Fee."

The council's approval authorizes the Construction Manager At Risk, Lippert Bros., Inc., to award contracts for the work and converts the project to a partial Guaranteed Maximum Price.

Roundabout key to traffic flow design

A key component of the project is a roundabout designed to provide access for northward-traveling terminal visitors. The Transportation Project Advisory Committee recommended funding the $585,452 roundabout portion with Transportation Sales Tax funds during a special meeting on February 13.

Staring addresses concerns about the roundabout's design, noting that it will be significantly larger than the downtown roundabout that has experienced issues.

"If you look at the old one we have now compared to this, it's twice as large," said Staring. "This one has twice as much diameter and will handle big truck traffic and charter buses and turnarounds."

The design includes an apron for larger vehicles turning from Airport Road onto Wright Drive, and accommodates fuel delivery trucks accessing the airport's fuel farm.

Vice Mayor Amy Dzialowski emphasizes the benefits of properly designed roundabouts.

"We sometimes forget what roundabouts are meant for, and the traffic calming effect of those can be quite effective," said Dzialowski. "When they work the way they're supposed to, they can be very strong components of our transportation."

Councilor Kevin Clark clarifies his position on roundabouts, stating, "I don't dislike roundabouts, I just dislike the one downtown."

The project represents the third work package in the overall terminal construction project. Two previous work packages were approved by the council and are currently underway, including demolition and construction of the terminal building, a four-lane drop-off area, and public utility relocations.

Additional costs related to PWP3 include:

• $39,300 for construction administration services by Olsson
• $334,686 for materials procured by Stillwater Electric
• $82,500 for fiber installation services procured by Stillwater IT
• $229,250 for gas line relocation by Oklahoma Natural Gas

The total expenditure authorization of $3,918,785 will be funded through the FAA grant ($3 million), city matching funds ($333,333), and Transportation Sales Tax funds ($585,452).

Projected timelines & future federal funding concerns

Staring presents a timeline showing that substantial completion for PWP3 is expected by Jan. 10, 2026, with final completion within 30 days after that. The overall terminal project has a substantial completion date of July 26, 2026.

The council also receives an update on the project's funding status. Kelly Reed, Airport Director, confirms that the $3 million in federal funding for this phase is already secured.

"The money that is in this work package that Candy presented is already in our quote unquote checking account with the FAA," said Reed. "So it's already been approved by council and encumbered."

When Mayor Will Joyce asks about future grant requests, Reed explains that while there had been some concerns, the FAA is not worried about continued funding. Future grants for furniture, fixtures, equipment, boarding bridges, and baggage handling will come through entitlements the airport receives due to its commercial service.

"This is money that's allocated to us as a right because of the fees that we charge passengers to fly on those commercial flights," said Reed. "So it's not a highly competitive program like the initial lump sum for the terminal."

The total terminal project cost is approximately $30 million, with about $8 million still needed for parking lots and additional terminal needs. Most future grants are expected to have a 90% federal and 10% local match, with some requiring only a 5% local match.

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