With business continuing to hum at the Chattanooga Airport, the board on Monday afternoon approved the drawing up of a new master plan.
InterVISTAS was chosen for the $1,159,363 project that will get underway soon and take 10-12 months to complete.
Terry Hart, Airport president, said the last master plan was from 2007-2010. He said this one is designed for 2017-2037.
He said, "We have already done a lot of the projects that were outlined in the earlier plan."
A board retreat will be held with InterVISTAS's Brian Moore at the start of the project. Later, there will be community meetings.
There were five contenders for the master plan contract. Mr. Hart said it was unanimously agreed that InterVISTAS was the best option.
He said another firm that does airport planning reviewed the agreement and said the charge by InterVISTAS was fair and reasonable.
Mr. Hart said April enplanements were up 12 percent over the prior April.May numbers rose nearly 18 percent.
For the year to date, enplanements are up 19.3 percent.
Mr. Hart said the Airport is set to exceed last year's record 419,000 enplanements and may go as 482,000.
He said he is working with the city staff in updating the section of the City Code that deals with the Airport. It has not been changed since 1950, he said.
The board approved the third and final phase of work on the East Ramp. Talley Construction, which did the first two phases, was the winning bidder. The new contract is for $3,081,254.
There were two bidders.
Board member Tom Snow said he and other Airport users welcome the make-over. "It was literally crumbling," he said.
The East Ramp is going from the worst airplane strip at the facility to the best, it was stated.
The board agreed to continue the $60,000 annual contract with the Albert Waterhouse public relations firm.
It will also keep the Maycreate ad firm in charge of Airport advertising. The contract is for $279,000. That figure includes funds that will be paid out to advertising outlets - including UTube, Vimeo, and other forms of ad distribution.