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Planning board unanimously approves Presque Isle airport terminal site plan
Summary
The Presque Isle Planning Board on April 3 unanimously approved a site plan for a $52 million replacement terminal at 650 Airport Drive, with FAA grants covering the majority of the cost and construction staged to finish by Thanksgiving 2026.
The Presque Isle Planning Board unanimously approved the site plan for a replacement airport terminal at 650 Airport Drive on April 3 after a presentation from the project’s engineering team.
Nils Gonzales, vice president of Hoyle Tanner, told the board the design envisions three project phases: the aircraft apron, the terminal building and employee/rental/short-term and long-term parking. Gonzales said the facility will be sized to hold a 220-seat aircraft and that only one terminal will be built initially but the design allows for two additional terminals in the future.
Board member Tim Vernon asked about the construction timeline. Gonzales said Soderberg Construction will perform site work and install utilities from May through August; the aircraft apron is planned to be finished before winter; and building construction would span winter 2025 into summer 2026, with a target completion by Thanksgiving 2026.
Airport Director Scott Wardwell outlined project financing, saying the total cost is $52 million. Wardwell said about $42 million is funded through a Federal Aviation Administration grant, roughly $1 million comes from Northern Borders with an additional $2.5 million to $5 million in timber-related grants being sought from Northern Borders, $1 million from the Maine Department of Transportation, and the remainder financed through a U.S. Department of Agriculture loan.
Richard Engels moved and Ward Gerow seconded a motion to approve the site plan “as presented”; the motion passed unanimously. The board also approved routine minutes and adjourned the meeting by unanimous vote.
Board member Jayne Farrin asked why the airport project appeared further advanced than some recent proposals. Wardwell said some airport funding sources require projects to be shovel-ready when grant applications are submitted, and that staff have streamlined pre-application steps so certain projects can move directly to a final Planning Board meeting.
The board was notified a site design plan meeting is scheduled for April 17. No public comments were offered during the citizen comment period.
Next steps include final permitting and the contractor schedule described by Gonzales; construction sequencing and specific grant awards remained subject to securing the additional Northern Borders grants and finalizing loan terms.
