Collegedale City Commission approves Sky Boss hangar site construction in 4-1 vote

The Collegedale City Commission voted 4–1 to approve a bid to build the Sky Boss hangar site at Collegedale Airport, awarding the project to Tyson Construction & Associates for a lump-sum bid of $1,011,251.

The project is funded primarily by a Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) airport matching grant of roughly $1,280,000; the city was already budgeted for a roughly 10 percent local match (about $128,000) in the current fiscal year. After accounting for bid addenda, design and the planned relocation of a maintenance shed, city staff projected a remaining city overage of about $144,000 that the commission will cover out of existing city funds.

Supporters at the meeting, including airport tenants and frequent users, told the commission the investment would strengthen the airport as a local economic asset. “I offer my unqualified support for improvements to Collegedale Airport,” longtime tenant Don Chamberlain told commissioners, citing fuel sales, overnight stays and services that benefit the broader area. In public comment, resident Charles Barrett urged clarity on city spending and asked whether the project amounted to subsidizing a private business: “we're gonna take my tax money and buy a business for Jay Jolley,” Barrett said; city staff and commissioners responded that any lease for the hangar site would charge market rent and that the facility would be built by a private operator on a ground lease.

City staff presented the bid figures during the meeting. The apparent low unit-price base was $856,159.20; with six recommended addenda the recommended award rose to $1,011,251. The TDOT grant amount discussed at the meeting was $1,280,000, leaving an expected local share and project overage that staff said had largely been anticipated in the city budget cycle.

Commission debate centered on two issues: the city’s financial exposure and the airport’s long-term value to Collegedale. Vice Mayor Sadler cast the lone dissenting vote, expressing concern about using city funds to support an airport enterprise; she voted no on the final roll call. Mayor Lloyd and other commissioners characterized the expenditure as a targeted investment, noting prior underinvestment in airport infrastructure and forecasting economic and community benefits, including jobs and increased business activity at the airport.

The approved contract includes the construction scope as specified in the bid and the six addenda recommended by the city’s engineer. Staff said the ground-lease arrangement for any private tenant would require rent at market rates and that tenant-built facilities would be privately financed on leased city land. The commission did not approve any tax increase to fund the project; staff said the local contribution would come from existing budgeted funds.

Next steps: city staff and the airport manager will finalize contract documents with Tyson Construction & Associates, coordinate the planned relocation of the maintenance shed to adjacent city-owned land, and proceed with construction oversight. The airport manager indicated the city would continue to pursue FAA/TDOT requirements still needed for other improvements (for example, instrument approach requirements), and would update the commission as milestones are reached.