Presque Isle International Airport broke ground for a $38.4 million passenger terminal that will replace a facility that dates back to 1952.
Terminal construction and other upgrades are part of a $52.6 million overhaul.
The general contractor for the terminal is A/Z Corp., which is part of Pittsfield-based Cianbro, Maine’s largest construction company.
U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, secured $20.5 million in congressionally directed spending in fiscal-year 2024 appropriations legislation for the terminal construction.
Collins also participated in the groundbreaking, along with Scott Wardwell, the airport director; Sonja Eyler, Presque Isle’s interim city manager; Ryan Pelletier, Aroostook County’s administrator and other leaders from local, county and state government.
“Presque Isle International Airport is a vital hub for Aroostook County, connecting northern Maine to the rest of the country and supporting economic development throughout the region,” said Collins. “This new terminal will replace a facility that has served the community for 70 years and will improve the passenger experience, ensure compliance with federal safety standards and support future growth for generations to come.”
Other airport updates include a $4.3 million renovation of the airport parking apron and a $5.2 million site preparation and utility services, projects that were awarded to Soderberg Construction Co. in Caribou. Another $4.7 million was contracted out to Hoyle Tanner & Associates for engineering and subcontractor AECOM for architecture.
Most of the project expenses are paid by the FAA, and the U.S. Department of Transportation and a variety of grants are picking up costs
Modern features
The terminal at Maine’s northernmost commercial airport, about a mile from downtown Presque Isle, will replace the outdated terminal, incorporate modern features, be fully ADA compliant to ensure accessibility for all passengers and meet updated Federal Aviation Administration design standards.
The terminal is an outcome from a master plan analysis that determined the existing terminal no longer met current day demands.
First, the airport security post has significantly increased the footprint required. In fact, the Transportation Safety Administration has not deployed all of the equipment the airport is eligible for because of insufficient room in the existing terminal, according to airport information.
Second, the existing terminal was constructed in 1952 as the fire rescue building for Presque Isle Air Force Base. As a result of age, many of its building and safety systems needed replacement such as the roof, wiring, air conditioning and fire alarm.
The most critical consideration was the FAA’s requirements and guidelines on the number of square feet for a passenger terminal based on peak hour passengers. The airport currently has only one departure at a time. Therefore, peak hour passengers translates to the number of seats on the aircraft. An aircraft seating 100 passengers requires a terminal to be 30,000 to 35,000 square feet. The current terminal is 10,000 square feet. The master plan was based on a 150-seat aircraft, thus requiring a terminal 35,000 to 40,000 square feet.
The increased size is also expected to make travel more comfortable for passengers, including restrooms, food or beverage and a larger, upgraded parking system.