According to budget contracts obtained by FactFinder 12, funding for the $832,000 stimulus project breaks down like this:
- The construction bid is $708,000. Of that, almost half the money is for the removal and replacement of concrete.
- The remaining non-construction money -- about $123,000 -- covers the cost of hiring an outside firm for engineering and design.
The government has said the primary goal of the stimulus money is to put people back to work. The Salina Airport project is creating or saving about a half dozen construction jobs and providing valuable work for the engineering and design firm hired by the airport, officials said.
But the true job creation will come after the taxiway is complete. Officials hope to lure companies that perform aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul work.
"This will be maintenance and repair of air frames, of engines, interiors, new avionics going into the fleet of existing aircraft, that many were made here in Kansas," Rogers said.
The expectation is that the expanded aviation service center will bring 800 new jobs to Salina in the next 24-36 months, with an average salary of about $17/hour.
That's the short term goal. In the long term, the airport wants to add at least five large hangars and about a dozen smaller buildings that can house aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul businesses.
Rogers said the market for these jobs is highly competitive and he thinks the stimulus grant is a wise investment for the future.
"I think it is good use of the money. I believe we see immediate job creation. And we see future jobs that are high paying jobs for this community and for our state."
The Salina Airport stimulus project should be completed by November. The remainder of the larger, $30 million redevelopment will be funded over time using money from the airport authority, the City of Salina, the state, and other sources, Rogers said.
