Council authorizes runway construction-administration work and approves FBO lease assignment at Tuscaloosa airport

Tuscaloosa City Council on Monday authorized construction-administration services for the Runway 4/22 extension and approved a lease assignment that transfers a fixed-base operator (FBO) operation to Robert Cardinal Group. Staff said the total contract for construction administration and related services is $1,274,334, of which the city’s share is $31,800 and is included in the existing budget.

Airport staff told the council the design required a change after a Federal Aviation Administration review that removed a previously shown displaced threshold and required the project team to shift grading, drainage and lighting plans to the full runway length. “We received that comment at the 90% level,” an airport staff member (Speaker 13) said, adding the engineering team prepared three levels of scope to create affordable bidding options.

An attendee who spoke at length about airport operations (Unidentified Speaker 4) urged the council to approve a lease assignment to the Robert Cardinal Group and described plans to expand air‑freight capacity, add a passenger lobby and build a midsize‑jet hangar. “We intend to, promote air freight, in Tuscaloosa,” the speaker said, arguing that additional freight traffic would increase fuel sales and landing fees at the airport.

Staff said the construction-administration work is projected to begin in March and will include on-site resident project representation, quality assurance and material testing. The council approved both the construction-administration authorization and the lease assignment by voice vote.

The airport discussion included details about reallocating lease acreage: staff said about three acres on the west end of the existing site will be removed from one lease parcel and an equal amount added elsewhere so the FBO’s total leased acreage does not increase. Council members asked clarifying questions about ramp completion and timelines; staff responded that ramp work is expected to finish next summer.

Next steps: staff will proceed with construction administration and update the council as the project moves into on-site work and bidding.