EDC authorizes contract to relocate hangar from Sugar Land Regional Airport to Cleveland Municipal Airport

The Cleveland Economic Development Corporation on a 4-0 vote authorized its president to execute a general services contract to dismantle, transport and re-erect a roughly 12,000‑square‑foot hangar currently at Sugar Land Regional Airport for use at Cleveland Municipal Airport.

Emilio Navarro, director of community development, told EDC members the hangar was offered to the corporation by a demolition contractor working at Sugar Land. Navarro said representatives inspected the structure and concluded it is “viable and usable” for installation on EDC‑owned property at Cleveland Municipal Airport.

The item was discussed at a special called EDC meeting on Dec. 27 and again at tonight’s meeting. Navarro said the immediate contract scope with Inland Environments would cover “dismantling and delivering that hangar to the airport on the EDC property, re‑erecting the hangar on the concrete foundation, engineering that concrete foundation with drawings, a new r‑panel for the roof, utilizing the existing vents, repainting the red iron structure, new installation insulation for the building, and repainting the exterior walls.” He said the contractor’s quoted scope is $214,727 but the all‑in cost is expected to be “around under $500,000.”

Navarro said the EDC has $300,000 budgeted for real property activities; additional budget amendments would be required to cover work outside the current contract scope, including engineering for slab details, anchor bolts, plumbing and electrical stubs through the slab. He told the board that engineers need to examine the structure while it is erected to design the new foundation and that some items—such as steel guides and concrete for rolling doors—were currently listed as excluded from the contractor’s engineering and would require clarification.

Board members asked procedural and technical questions about dismantling a metal building, cataloging numbered parts, responsibilities for reassembly and whether additional engineering drawings would be required to show plumbing and electrical stub locations. Navarro said staff plans to seek additional bids and to return to the EDC at its Jan. 21 meeting with more information and, if authorized, a request for proposals (RFP) to solicit prospective tenants or operators. He said if the RFP does not identify a tenant the EDC could use the facility as a gang hangar under City/EDC management.

Navarro also emphasized a firm deadline: the hangar must be removed from the Sugar Land site by the end of January, which is why the EDC held a special meeting and is moving quickly to start the work. On schedule, Navarro said the re‑erection could be targeted for about March depending on lead times for engineering, bidding and construction scheduling.

A motion “to authorize the president of the EDC to execute a general service contract” with the contractor named in the motion was made, seconded and approved 4-0. The meeting record states only the motion maker and seconder by name; the vote tally was announced as 4 to 0.

Navarro and board members framed the project as an opportunity to add scarce hangar space at Cleveland Municipal Airport while saving money compared with new construction; one board member cited a new‑construction estimate of roughly $1.2 million. Navarro and staff indicated several decisions remain, including exact tenant uses, plumbing and electrical layout, final engineering inclusions and total budget amendments.

Votes at a glance - Motion to authorize the EDC president to execute a general services contract to dismantle, move and re‑erect the hangar (contract scope quoted at $214,727; estimated total project cost under $500,000): approved 4-0.

This item will return to the EDC on Jan. 21 for additional details, possible budget amendments and potential authorization to issue an RFP for tenancy or operation of the hangar.