Airport Committee Gets Commission OK to Redesign Terminal Facade; No County Funds Committed

Hardeman County commissioners voted to allow airport committee members and the airport’s engineering team to pursue a redesign of the exterior facade of the county’s planned terminal building, while emphasizing any funding decisions would return to the commission.

Lede: The commission agreed to let the airport committee and its contracted engineers develop revised exterior drawings for the planned terminal — a change limited to the facade and not to the approved interior layout or building footprint — so the airport can present a ‘shovel‑ready’ alternative to potential funders.

Nut graf: County airport leaders said the county currently holds a terminal plan that duplicates a design used by another county. The airport committee and local volunteers proposed an adapted facade to give Hardeman County a distinct building profile they say could attract regional attention and economic interest. The commission’s approval allows designers to refine the facade and return with any budget implications; the grant that paid for the original plans would not cover changes to the exterior.

Details of the request: Airport committee chair Cathy Ledbetter (identified as chair of the airport committee during the meeting) presented two renderings: the currently owned plan (the interior already paid for by a past grant) and a proposed color rendering with a different exterior profile. Ledbetter and other airport committee members told the commission the change would not alter the interior layout or building size and that the committee unanimously approved pursuing an exterior redesign. Engineers from LRK and A2H were reported to be collaborating on cost‑conscious design options.

Funding and constraints: County staff clarified that the previous plans were paid for by a grant and that the grant would not pay for modifications to the plans. Airport committee members said they would seek outside contributions and that they understood the county is not in a position to commit substantial new funds immediately. County leaders repeatedly emphasized that any monetary commitment would be brought back to the commission for approval and that the commission’s present vote was limited to allowing the committee to proceed with redesign work and to prepare cost estimates and grant‑ready documents.

Commission vote and direction: Commissioners approved the motion to allow the airport committee to proceed with exploring the facade changes; the motion carried on a voice vote with no county funding authorized at the meeting. Airport and county staff said revised drawings and cost estimates would be returned to the commission before any spending.

Follow up: Airport committee members said a redesigned facade would help position the airport competitively for terminal grants and that having a ‘shovel‑ready’ set of plans would improve the county’s chances of winning state or federal funding. The committee committed to returning to the commission with cost estimates and any proposed funding requests before work begins.