Airport board authorizes staff to prepare bids and demolition estimate after asbestos test

The Cache County Airport Authority Board on its November agenda authorized staff to prepare bid specifications for repairing the airport’s old control tower and also to obtain an estimate to demolish it, after being told asbestos testing showed no asbestos on-site.

The board’s chair said the site “has been tested for asbestos, and so that's about a $10,000 cost that we will not have to pay to mitigate because there is no asbestos on-site,” framing the choice between restoration, limited repairs and demolition.

Board members reviewed contractor visits and recommendations and discussed options ranging from “drying in” the tower—basic repairs to stop water intrusion—to full restoration. One board member said a demolition estimate should be obtained “just so we know what kind of baseline is” if the board ultimately decides restoration is not cost-effective.

To move the process forward, a motion was made to have John Ryan and the chair draft bid specifications so contractors can respond on the same scope, and to also include a demolition price for comparison. The motion was seconded and passed by voice vote.

The chair said the approach will let the board compare “apples to apples” once the board receives state grant approval, which he noted is still pending. No grant award was announced at the meeting; the board limited action to preparing specifications and collecting cost estimates.

Next steps: Ryan and the chair will finalize bid specifications and return those to the board for review once contractor responses and any grant funding decisions are known.