Construction documents complete for transient hangar; contractor, schedule and FAA timing discussed

SEH reported that construction documents for the new transient hangar are finished and that Valant Construction Services will serve as prime contractor. The team held a preconstruction meeting and engineers said site work — footings, grading and demo — is expected to begin in October ahead of the expected delivery of a prefabricated building in February or March.

An SEH engineer cautioned that this is different from typical pavement projects because much of the work depends on weather and grant timing. "So because it's a building, they're gonna do some of the site work in the fall, get the footings, in place…they'll deliver it, and then it would be put on those footings on-site," the engineer said, adding the goal is to have the hangar available inside for winter storage with an opening target in September 2027. Commissioners and staff noted the schedule is tied to FAA grant delivery and that concrete pours in late winter may cause delays; SEH said they will plan alternatives and coordinate with the contractor to protect project integrity.

Commissioners did not take additional formal action at this time; SEH will continue to manage the preconstruction schedule and report progress back to the commission as grant and weather constraints become clearer.