Site work and paving for a transportation facility in Roswell, New Mexico. Completed plans call for site work for a transportation facility; and for paving for a transportation facility.

https://www.rdrnews.com/news/local/fast-action-requested-to-expand-rac-terminal-building-for-2025-air-races/article_f7df6cda-416d-11ef-8d3d-5731c709b711.html Bud Kunkel, chair of the Airport Advisory Commission, told city councilors on Thursday there are decisions about major projects at the Roswell Air Center (RAC) that need to be arranged sooner rather than later. One, in particular, is how to expand the Terminal Building so it can accommodate the estimated tens of thousands of people who would travel by air to see the National Championship Air Races. This event will hold its air races in Roswell starting in September 2025. Kunkel asked the councilors to create a working group that would focus on adding space to the terminal building. This type of construction work is anticipated to require more time to complete than when the air races are scheduled to go on here. Some of the numerical statistics are tantalizing, such as the report compiled by the University of Reno (Nevada) that determined total economic impact from the 2023 air races was $158 million and that 150,000 people attended the final air races there. If held in Roswell with regional cooperation among Southeast New Mexico communities, the air races could bring in mid-to-high, five-digit total number of visitors. The airport commissioners have received numerous estimates about how this event could unfold here. This information was discussed in April during the meeting of this commission. Kunkel reiterated Thursday that there are numerous estimates about it. The city is 18 to 24 months behind in having adequate facilities and infrastructure to accommodate the air races. RAC had 5,933 aircraft boardings in June. But for the 2023 air races held Sept. 13 to 17 at the Reno-Stead Airport, about 24,800 traveled by air to and from that event. The terminal building would need to efficiently move many more passengers through check-in, security screenings, aircraft boarding and exiting, luggage retrieval, and rental vehicle pickup and return for an event of this potential size. Kunkel pointed out that the number of attendees who would use the airport during the first years of this event would be lower because some of these visitors are expected to fly into other airports, including Albuquerque, Lubbock, El Paso and Midland-Odessa, then rent cars to come to Roswell and drive back to the airport from which they would depart. Roswell’s monthly passenger count is only “about 24% of the passengers who flew into Reno during the week of the races,” Kunkel stressed. “Now, you have a pretty reasonable grasp of the magnitude, of the difficulties that Roswell faces in moving people through our current airport terminal.” Kunkel then urged the formation of a small working group of four or five people, composed of officials representing Roswell, Chaves County, the Roswell-Chaves County Economic Development Corporation and the National Championship Air Races. The group would concentrate on finding a viable way to handle the influx of visitors coming here for this event. Expanding the terminal building has been on the minds of city and RAC officials since long before efforts to attract the air races happened. Designs created for expanding the building were first created in 2019. Three different options were presented at that time. The working group would need to expand the knowledge based on existing engineering studies so the “quickest and most cost-efficient way to enlarge” the areas of the terminal building so these visitors can be well accommodated, he said. The terminal is close to being 50 years old and has gone through some renovations, but nothing this transformative. The 2019 design work included multiple options at a variety of costs. Along with developing that plan and a timetable to physically achieve that goal, the group would also be tasked with “identifying funding sources to accommodate terminal enlargement that the city can reasonably afford,” Kunkel also said. The $2 million secured so far “is just a drop in the bucket.” Depending on the scope and approach, the price tag could easily exceed $10 million. The most expensive design concept created for the terminal building back in 2019 was estimated to cost at least $30 million. “We can’t afford that,” Kunkel stressed. But if the planning doesn’t begin soon to find a viable solution, “we’ll have egg on our faces.” The group should be done with this situation within about 90 days. Other business Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan: City councilors chose five high-priority items for the Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan (ICIP) for the fiscal years 2026-30. Some councilors weren’t happy about the process not receiving the amount of attention — and public exposure — than had been originally proposed. Councilor Robert Corn described the process as “secret.” Corn and some of the other councilors said the process was overly weighted toward the opinions of city staff. Corn proposed an amendment to modify the process used to determine the final priorities. One change he couldn’t garner support for from enough of the other councilors was to allow each councilor the opportunity to use all five of their choices on one project. Mayor Timothy Jennings was among those who said councilors ought to be at the meeting if they want to participate in this type of action. Councilor Angela Moore — who was participating by phone — said the suggestions should have been discussed and agreed on earlier. The deadline for submitting the plan to the state was on Friday. ICIP is technically a planning document. However, having the requests well-formed can make obtaining funding for important projects more likely from the state and federal governments. Here are the top 5 priority ICIP projects: 1. Real Time Crime Center 2. Airport Terminal generator 3. Expansion of Roswell Fire Station 1 4. Columbarium for South Park Cemetery 5. Land acquisition to expand the city’s Wastewater Treatment Plant. FEMA agreements: Councilors approved two separate agreements with the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the use of a building as well as land at the airport, to continue relief efforts needed as a result of the Ruidoso-area fires and flash flooding. FEMA will lease 10 acres of land in the southeast corner of the airport for emergency response lodging operations. Up to 120 workers with this agency in a variety of capacities are expected to stay there until conditions are made livable in Ruidoso. The agency will also rent the former New Mexico Department of Health building near the intersection of Gail Harris and E. Challenger streets. Both leases are for up to 12 months of use, with shorter options to end the agreements, if needed. These agreements were moved into the council’s consent agenda and voted on along with numerous other items. ------------------------------------------------------- Improvements to Roswell Air Center Apron Rehabilitation Each bid must be accompanied by a Certified Check or Cashier's Check in an amount not less than five (5) percent of the total bid made payable to City of Roswell, or by a Bid Bond in like amount executed by a Surety Company. The Bidder must supply all the information required by the proposal forms and specifications and he/she must bid on all items of every schedule. All bidders are advised to examine the site to become familiar with all site conditions. The proposed contract is subject to: Buy American Preference (Title 49 USC 50101, Executive Order 14005, Pub. L. No. 117-58, and BABA), Civil Rights Title VI Assurance (49 USC 47123 and FAA Order 1400-11), the Davis Bacon Act (40 USC 3141-3144, 3146, and 3147), as amended; Debarment and Suspension restrictions (2 CFR Part 180), the provisions of Department of Transportation Regulations 49 CFR Part 26 (Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Participation), Lobby Federal Employee restrictions (21 USC 1352), and Procurement of Recovered Materials requirements (Section 6002 of the Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and the regulatory provisions of 40 CFR Part 247) ; );. Minimum wage rates as established by the Secretary of Labor and State of New Mexico are applicable to all schedules awarded for this project. The proposed contract is under and subject to the following federal provision(s): Affirmative Action Requirement Buy American Preference Civil Rights Title VI Assurance Debarment and Suspension Federal Fair Labor Standards Act (Federal Minimum Wage) Trade Restriction Certification Procurement of Recovered Materials Any questions regarding this project are to be directed to the office of Armstrong Consultants, Inc., Albuquerque, New Mexico, (505) 508-2192 for interpretation. The City of Roswell reserves the right to waive any informality in, or to reject any or all portions of, the various bid items. No proposal may be withdrawn for a period of sixty (60) days from the opening thereof. *The value for this project is based on a financial range. The value is listed as the highest possible cost from the range provided by a stakeholder or official project document. SCHEDULE I Apron Concrete Pavement Joint Sealing, Spall Repair and Slab Replacement SCHEDULE II Apron Mill and Overlay, Including Apron Preservation Question Deadline 06/28/2024 All questions about Contract Documents including Detailed Specifications and/or Construction Plans shall be submitted to Engineer in writing. Questions will be accumulated and a reply will be issued by Addendum. Bidders identified on the planholders list will be notified by email that an Addendum is available by no later than five (5) business days before the scheduled Bid Opening. Questions received less than seven (7) business days prior to the time and date for opening Bids will not be answered.