SALISBURY – The replacement of the HVAC system at the SBY Regional Airport Salisbury-Ocean City-Wicomico Regional Airport has been a long time coming, as the Wicomico County Council approves the application of funding to make the project become a reality.
On Tuesday morning, several resolutions came before the Wicomico County Council requesting application and acceptance of funding to pay for the replacement of the heating and air conditioning (HVAC) system and continue security operations at the Salisbury-Ocean City-Wicomico (SBY) Regional Airport.
The first resolution before the council was to authorize County Executive Bob Culver to submit applications and accept grant awards from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Maryland Aviation Administration (MAA) Airport Improvement Program for the airport’s Replace Terminal HVAC Project.
The total cost of the project is $878,307 and the airport would like to submit grant applications to cover 70 percent of the work, which would be $554,000 from FAA, $30,600 from MAA, and about $30,965 from the Wicomico County Airport Commission (WCAC).
The resolution furthers, “the remaining 30 percent of the project will be funded by an Airport Special Grant offered by the Maryland Aviation’s Office of Regional Aviation Assistance that will include a local contribution.”
According to SBY Regional Airport Manager Bob Bryant, construction of the current airline passenger Terminal Building was completed in the spring of 1991 and the original HVAC system remains 25 years later.
“The existing HVAC system has deteriorated to such a degree that total replacement, including necessary improvements and upgrades for compliance with building codes, of the existing HVAC system is necessary,” Bryant said.
Bryant continued, in 2011 the WCAC and SBY Airport Management contemplated improvements, renovations and replacement of the existing system but FAA required a mini-master plan forecasting 20-year needs of the Terminal Building prior to seeking AIP eligibility.
The Mini-SBY Terminal Building Master Plan was completed in May 2013, and besides identifying improvements, renovations and replacements of the existing system, the study also determined the “public use” and “private use” areas of the Terminal Building. The study determined that 70 percent of the Terminal Building is “public use.”
MAA will offer a separate Airport Special Grant of $197,000 that will pay 75 percent of the “private use” area and WCAC will cover the remainder $65,742.
According to Bryant, on April 21 of this year the Wicomico County Department of Purchasing held a bid opening for the Construction Terminal HVAC Replacement Project, and two bids were received. WCAC approved the low bid from Hunter Allied in the amount of $784,000, although it expressed concern over what was still considered a high cost.
Hunter Allied explained $500,000 is costs associated with the HVAC replacement equipment with $100,000 associated with system controllers.
WCAC also approved an amendment to the open engineering and consultant agreement with Delta Airport Consultants for Construction Phase Administration Services during the project in the amount of about $91,000. Delta Airport Consultants is teaming with project design and architecture engineers Dunlap & Partners Engineers, who is the HVAC mechanical engineer, and Price Studios, who is the architect engineer, for the construction phase of the project, in addition to third party services of Pennoni Associates who will monitor the installation and mechanicals of the HVAC system, and certify the new system works as designed and installed.
The project will be quite the undertaking as it will include demolition of the existing HVAC system, controls, electrical, piping, condensers and water cooling tower; improvements and upgrades to the existing HVAC system electrical service to meet compliance with current building codes; installation of new HVAC systems and controls; installation of new HVAC systems and lighting in the relocated Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Checked Baggage Screen room and office; and installation of a “right-sized” condenser loop water cooling tower.
Subsequently, a second resolution came before the council that would authorize Culver to submit the Airport Special Grant application and accept a grant award from the MAA to cover the “private use” area in the amount of $197,000 with the local match from WCAC being $65,742.
The council voted unanimously to approve both resolutions authorizing the submission and acceptance of grant funds.