County Accepts $33 Million Bid to Expand and Remodel Terminal at Dane County Regional Airport

January 21, 2003
Sharyn Wisniewski (608) 267-8823 Dave Jensen, Interim Airport Director (608) 246-3387
County Executive

The Dane County Regional Airport terminal will double in size and receive an extensive face-lift as it embarks on a major construction project in February. Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk announced today that the low construction bid of $33,149,000 has been accepted from Tri-North Builders/Grunau Project Development, a Joint Venture. Tri-North Builders is based in Madison, and Grunau Project Development in Milwaukee. The project design team consisted of Dane County Regional Airport, Architectural Alliance (Minneapolis), and Mead & Hunt and Arnold & O'Sheridan, both of Madison. “We’re tremendously excited about the beautiful, new terminal that will greet passengers as they arrive at our airport,” said Falk. “The handsome Prairie School design will make a terrific first impression on visitors to our county. But, just as impressive, is the state-of-the art information technology and mechanical systems that are built into the plans. We are moving ahead with these plans at just the right time to accommodate the heightened security measures which now must be built into airports,” said Falk. The design plans for the DCRA project will double the square footage of the terminal. Space will be increased and upgraded for the ticket counter, the baggage screening process, and the baggage claim area. The two existing baggage carousels will be replaced. A new escalator at the terminal’s south end will provide access to the second-floor concourse, where gates and bridges for boarding will be expanded. The new, Prairie School design will include expanses of windows to bring in more natural light, and stained and etched glass to add visual interest and control glare. The interior design incorporates granite wainscoting, cherry wood paneling, marble countertops, floor mosaics, and aluminum accents, all in a new palette of warm colors including gold, green, brown and ochre red. A state-of-the-art heating and cooling system will include an ice builder, which makes ice at night, when electricity is cheaper, to be used during the day to cool the building. Also, a building automation system will dim lights and modify heating and cooling to unused areas of the terminal, resulting in significant energy savings. The project incorporates “green building” sustainable design and construction measures, such as recycled carpet, acoustic ceiling tiles manufactured from recycled soda bottles, non-toxic wood preservative treatment, chlorine free vinyl wallcovering, and on-site construction waste recycling. The Dane County Regional Airport receives no county tax subsidy. The county is issuing general obligation bonds for the project, which the airport will repay with airport revenues over a 12-year period. # # # Architectural renderings of the terminal expansion project are available in electronic format. Contact Sharyn Wisniewski at 267-8823 or wisniewski@co.dane.wi.us