Despite years of delays, Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport officials are preparing for potential reignition of a dormant project.
Mitchell International submitted a request for proposal for the demolition of the existing Concourse E and the construction of a new international terminal building. Bids are due on July 25 by 2 p.m.
This is the most recent development for a project that has been in the works since 2016. With funding originally included in Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele’s 2018 budget plan, the airport has had to pivot its plans due to an increased price. In March, Milwaukee County airport director Brian Dranzik said inflation has increased the cost to more than $80 million.
The project is anticipated to begin as early as 2025, though that could change based on funding availability and other contingencies, Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport director of public affairs and marketing Harold Mester told the Business Journal in an email. The project would take approximately two years to complete and final costs will be determined by the bids that come in, Mester wrote.
Instead of receiving funding through the Milwaukee County budget plan, the airport will apply for federal grants from the Federal Aviation Administration through its Airport Terminals Program which distributes $1 billion annually to provide competitive grants for airport terminal development projects. FAA grant applications are due July 31.
“Hopefully we get that award next year, and hopefully we get enough funds to then actually bring that project along,” Dranzik said in March.