Airport seeks $7–9 million for heated hangar to boost winter operations, revenue

Daniel Hawkins, operations manager at Laramie Regional Airport, asked commissioners to consider a special-purpose tax contribution to fund the design and construction of a new heated aircraft hangar. "We proposed to build a 176 by a 150 foot heated hangar," Hawkins said, adding that the facility would accommodate business-class jets and, in some cases, larger aircraft such as a single Boeing 737.

Hawkins told the commissioners the airport currently has about 6,825 square feet of heated hangar capacity, roughly half of which is already long-term contracted; the proposed hangar would increase heated space to about 26,000 square feet. The airport estimated construction at roughly $350 per square foot and requested $7 million to $9 million in SPET support.

The airport projects annual gross revenue from the hangar, once established, of roughly $300,000 to $500,000. Hawkins said the new facility would reduce weather-related operational costs such as deicing and preheating, improve reliability for business and university charters and capture revenue now lost when aircraft divert to larger, lower-cost hangar markets.

Questions from commissioners and staff focused on operating costs (notably heating and utilities), demand modeling, and whether smaller, multiple hangars were a viable alternative. Airport staff said smaller hangars were possible but the chosen footprint preserves a key development parcel and maximizes revenue potential from larger aircraft. Airport staff also noted that one existing unheated hangar is in poor condition and currently produces no rental income; removing or salvaging that structure would be part of any site work.

There was no formal decision. Commissioners asked to include the airport request in the county's SPET priority discussions and negotiations with the City of Laramie and Town of Rock River.