AIRPORT ADMINISTRATION, ADVISORY BOARD FIGHT COST OVERRUNS ON AIRPORT TERMINAL

Work continues on the new terminal at BRO, the aeronautic acronym for the Brownsville, South Padre Island International Airport, with even concrete being poured today amidst a rainstorm.

Away from the rain, inside the confines of the airport's board room, the Airport Advisory Board listened as Airport Director Bryant Walker detailed the progress on the terminal.

"Haven't we had already a number of change orders for the project?" asked board member Chris Hughston.

"Four change orders so far," responded Walker, "actually about 15 different things bundled into four."

Airport Board Chairman Manuel Alcocer on the left,

Board Member Chris Hughston on the right

"I guess what I'm asking," continued Hughston, "is are we staying on budget?"

"Well, one change order saved us $199,000," answered the director, "and, even with the others, we're still staying within the original estimate, nothing outside the scope, soft soil stabilization, for example."

"These are the approved change orders.  Are their any change orders pending, any surprises?" asked Hughston.

"Only some things directed by city management.  We initially left out some items to save on cost, but our City Manager feels if we're building a terminal once every fifty years, let's do it right," continued Bryant Walker.

"And how much will those changes cost?" asked Hughston.

"About two million," answered Walker.

Airport Advisory Board

As I told Walker after the meeting, "many in Brownsville still remember the sports park fiasco, a project bid at $10 million, ballooning to three or four times that because of cost overruns, change orders."

Hughston also asked about figures showing a decline in labor costs.

"We have five current vacancies," answered Walker.

2019 passenger numbers are up at BRO, well over 2018, but, also, rising faster than the McAllen and Harlingen airports.

Cost per enplanement, CPE, one of the indicators of how efficiently an airport is run, has BRO spending $4.09 per enplanement.  Nationally, Newark, NJ spends the most, $28.05 per enplanement, while Atlanta, GA, the least at $2.38.  McAllen's Miller Airport has a CPE of $5.96, while Harlingen's Valley International is at $5.39.

This doesn't mean Brownsville's airport is necessarily the cheapest.

"We're not a bargain airport," stated Director Walker.  

"We're a premium, elite airport."

Realistically, Walker sees the final cost of the terminal project, more than just the terminal building itself, costing between $40 and $50 million.

Lafayette, Louisana, a city of 129,000, just spent $90 million to upgrade its terminal, Walker stated.