b'New Terminal at Lafayette Regional 76 LFT TERMINALSWas a True Community EffortBY PAUL NOLANOfficials at Lafayette Regionalrequest for funds,The most challenging part was planning Airport (LFT) dont consider thewe knew theyd say,out all the different funding conditions, new terminal they unveiled inWhen you have theremarks Chris Groh, funding coordinator January to be theirs. Executive Directormoney, come backwith Kutchins & Groh. Since the funding Steven Picou takes great pride that it wasand talk to us, andwas divided up into various grants, we had a project of the people, by the people andwe could tell themto make sure each awarded construction for the people of the Louisiana communitieswe already hadcontract had the appropriate allocated LFT serves. the money, PicouSTEVEN PICOUfunding available. We also had to consider Picou emphasizes that the new $150explains. It helpedeligible versus ineligible costs and the million terminal opened debt-free and in akeep all the parties at the table. various match requirements. timely manner, despite COVID and naturalAirfield safety was another keyLike Picou, Groh stresses the role disasters such as hurricanes. He alsoelement to gaining support from federalof local involvement. From a funding emphasizes that the residents of Lafayetteand state agencies. Presentations bystandpoint, the communitys ability to raise Parish played a major role in making theproject designer RS&H Inc. and programfunds through a local sales tax and the project possible. In 2014, voters approvedmanager CBRE Heery Inc. illustrated howairport commissions capital funding really a temporary 1-cent sales tax to help financerelocating the terminal would eliminate oneprovided the strong foundation to apply for the airport improvements. The tax, whichhot spot in the airport movement area,all the necessary outside funding, he says. lasted eight months, raised $33.5 millionimprove another hot spot, and eliminate(More details about the temporary sales and proved pivotal in helping LFT securenonstandard conditions. tax are available at airportimprovement.grants from the FAA, the U.S. EconomicCBRE, with subcontractor Kutchinscom, in the March/April 2016 issue.)Development Administration, the state of& Groh, also assisted the airport withGroh also credits the program manager Louisiana and several other sources.identifying sources for funding. In all, theand the local engineering firm, which What was great about [the sales tax]project included 13 separate fundinghelped track costs against the was when we went to the FAA with asources and 28 individual grants. May | June 2022AirportImprovement.com'