Routt County commissioners on May 29 authorized the airport director to begin contract negotiations with Weitz as the construction-manager-at-risk for the design (preconstruction) phase of the Yampa Valley Regional Airport Terminal West expansion.

The county’s recommendation followed interviews with four firms and a selection panel that included the county manager and the project’s lead architect and engineer. Kevin, Routt County airport director, said the panel “did not have a bad proposal put in front of us” and recommended Weitz because of its national airport experience, prior work with the project architect and a detailed plan for staging construction while keeping airport operations running.

The move clears the way to bring Weitz on for preconstruction services, including constructability review, cost estimating and temporary operations planning. Commissioners emphasized that the agreement to be signed for the design phase will be modified from the RFP’s boilerplate contract and will come back to the board for review before final signature. One commissioner said, “I would be a lot more comfortable if the language that we were asked being asked to authorize sign off on was a little more developed.”

Why it matters: the selection advances a multi-phase terminal expansion that county staff and consultants estimate could reach a $65 million construction cap and relies on a mix of local reserves, federal airport entitlements and a planned TIFIA loan. County staff said most preconstruction costs will come from county airport reserves while the larger construction financing plan depends on federal grants and an anticipated Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) loan.

Panel and evaluation: staff said four firms that attended the RFP pre-bid—FCI/Hausman, Melander White, Weitz and another regional firm—were interviewed in sequence. Kevin told commissioners he reviewed proposals and compiled a matrix of experience and references; he said Weitz’s airport portfolio (including Kansas City terminal work and baggage-handling projects at Phoenix Sky Harbor and Mesa) and an existing working relationship with the project architect, Gensler, were factors that “resonated.” The panel also valued Weitz’s detailed plan for mobilization, staging and preserving baggage operations during construction.

Costs and fees: staff described preconstruction fees ranging “from about $60,000 up to a little over $200,000,” with Weitz in the midrange. Change-order markup ranges reported during the interviews ran roughly from 2.75% to 5%, and overall construction-phase fee markups were said to be within about 1% of each other across proposers. Staff framed the RFP as requesting preconstruction/design services now, with a separate construction contract to follow if the county proceeds to Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) negotiations.

Funding and next steps: staff said the county will commit airport reserves to cover most preconstruction costs, and that federal and state funds (including FAA entitlements and state matches) plus roughly $6–$8 million remaining from federal airport grant programs and a planned TIFIA loan are parts of the construction financing plan. Staff reported they have engaged bond counsel and are selecting a financial adviser to support underwriting; they said TIFIA underwriting and closing may take several more months and will require future board approvals. The county plans to return a negotiated, county-reviewed contract for commissioner review within weeks and said the item could appear on a near-term consent agenda for formal authorization.

Board action and implementation risk: a commissioner moved to authorize the airport director to select Weitz as the construction manager for the design phase; the board voted in favor by voice. The action approved staff to begin contract negotiations and integrate Weitz into design work, but did not sign a final construction contract or commit long-term financing. Staff and commissioners noted the project will face a more adversarial negotiation point at the GMP/construction stage and that supply-chain and specialized equipment (for example, passenger boarding bridges and large cranes) present logistical challenges.