By Pat Hammert/Staff Writer

El Reno Regional Airport trustees opened three bids last week on repairing a 10-bay hangar almost totally destroyed in a spring tornado.

A decision will be made on which bid to accept at a special airport meeting at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the city-owned airpark. The city has tapped an emergency disaster fund to loan up to $300,000 to the airport to begin reconstruction of the hangar until insurance issues are ironed out.

Oklahoma City-based Johnson and Hunt submitted a base price of $350,000 with two alternatives totaling $32,000. Miller and Tippens of Oklahoma City bid a base price of $266,000, with two alternatives totaling $128,000, and Diversified Construction Co. of Edmond bid $319,000 with $73,000 in alternative bids.

Engineering estimate was $300,000 with another $36,400 in alternates.

Airport officials estimate it will be at least another six months before the hangar can be ready for leasing, bringing in the needed revenue to pay the debt on it. The airport has an $820,000 outstanding loan on the damaged 10-bay and some other improvements done at the airport.

The first payment of $7,600 is due in 60 days. If the tornado hadn’t dipped down where it did, aircraft would be parked in the hangar and the airport would be collecting rent to pay off the debt on the building.

Costing $650,000 to build, the hangar was four days away from being completed when the tornado hit. Insurance on the building is at issue and litigation is pending against the contractor.

An older, smaller hangar was also damaged in the storm but insurance funds have been released to repair it. Also, the airport has income protection policy on that hangar.