Staff recommends that the City Council approve Amendment 27 with Morrison-Maierle, Inc. for the engineering services associated with the expansion and remodel of the Airline Ticket Counters and installation of a new In-line Baggage Belt System in the amount of $1,019,570.00.

On May 5, 2022, the City Council approved a five-year contract with Morrison-Maierle, Inc. (M-M) to provide all pre-design and scope of work activities, construction inspection and oversight, and project closeout for the Aviation and Transit Department for all civil engineering work required during the five-year term.  This base contract with M-M is amended each time a new project is undertaken.  Amendment 27 for $1,019,570 will provide funding for M-M to complete all civil, survey and scope of work services, prepare schematic designs, plans and specifications, oversee project management and complete closeout reports for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in order to expand and remodel the Airline Ticket Counters, offices, break rooms, and operational spaces including the installation of a new In-Line Baggage Belt System.  

During the previous 5-year Terminal Expansion Construction Project, the Airport built new concourses and provided additional airline gate and ramp space, a large welcoming lobby and a new TSA screening area, more bathrooms, a gift shop, restaurant and bars, which were all completed in October of 2024.  Now it is time to begin the next phase of Terminal Building Improvements that will add more ticket counters for additional airlines, reconfigure existing airline operational space, and install a new in-line baggage belt system.  Specifically, this project will encompass three primary components aimed at enhancing airline and TSA operational efficiencies and providing our passengers with an excellent customer experience.  The first component involves moving the existing TSA baggage screening machines out of the lobby and relocating them behind the ticket counters, which will free up valuable space to provide more room for queuing of passengers checking in for flights and dropping off luggage.  In order to do this, a new in-line baggage belt system will need to be installed behind the ticket counters that will transfer bags to a back room where they will be screened and then moved to a centralized drop area for all airlines to pick them up and load them onto an aircraft.  The second component focuses on a comprehensive remodel of the existing airline operational space behind the ticket counters to make it more functional and provide additional space for existing and new airlines.  The third component will build additional ticket counter check-in locations, allowing the opportunity for new airlines to begin operating at BIL.  These initiatives aim to modernize the terminal, improve operational efficiency, and prepare the airport for future growth.

The scope of work and associated fees for these services have been reviewed by the Aviation Consulting firm Rood & Associates from Arvada, Colorado and negotiated by staff and will be approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).  The FAA requires that all engineering fees be reviewed by a second contracted engineering firm to verify that these fees are reasonable, fair, and equitable.  Rood & Associates was contracted to perform the secondary review, providing staff with an independent cost estimate to negotiate the fees with M-M.

M-M will also complete all structural, mechanical, plumbing, fire suppression, electrical and information technology plans including hiring sub-consultants to complete some of the work.  Collaborative Design Architects (CDA) will provide the architectural design and Swanson Rink, an aviation consultant, will design the inline baggage belt handling system for the airport.  This schematic design work is estimated to take approximately six months to complete and then a General Contractor Construction Manager (GCCM) will be chosen later this fall to assist the team with project scheduling, phasing, and budgeting.  The construction is estimated to begin in January of 2026, cost approximately $15 million and take two years to complete.             
 

City Council may:

• Approve Amendment 27 for the engineering fees with M-M; or,
• Not Approve Amendment 27 with M-M, delay the project and advise staff on how to proceed

The total cost of the engineering services in Amendment 27 are $1,019,570.  Approximately 75% or $760,000.00 of the fees will be paid with a combination of Passenger Facility Charge (PFC), Airport Improvement Project and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) grant funds, and 25% or $259,570.00 will be paid with local share dollars that are available in the Airports Capital Account and Construction fund.