Temporary facilities arrived at the Eastern Oregon Regional Airport on Thursday to begin the $3.9 million Terminal Renovation Project. Commercial flights and food services will continue uninterrupted.
Airport Manager John Honemann said one of the project goals is to limit the impact on airport services.
“We are really excited to begin construction, but it was also very important for us to make sure services are uninterrupted,” Honemann said. “We’ve worked closely with the restaurant and with commercial air service to keep everything open as much as possible.”
The Pendleton airport dates back to World War II, and the existing terminal building is more than 70 years old. Funded through a federal CARES Act grant earmarked for airports, the Terminal Renovation Project will update or replace aging equipment, including windows and the HVAC , electrical and plumbing systems. The project also includes renovating bathrooms and the restaurant kitchen as well as cosmetic improvements, such as paint, finishing and flooring.
In February, the Pendleton City Council selected McCormack Construction as the general manager and general contractor.
The entire project is expected to last about eight months and was broken up into five phases to minimize impacts on services.
On Thursday, crews from McCormack Construction began installation of a 60-foot temporary terminal and temporary bathrooms. Those facilities, located next to the main terminal, can be accessed from the airport parking lot and will keep commercial flights operating during the construction.
Passengers will be rerouted to the temporary facilities sometime between May 5 and May 19, when construction begins inside the terminal.
Air Traffic Control services will not be impacted by the remodel, and airport administration services will operate out of the World War II hangar. After the temporary facilities are installed, administrative staff and tenants will move out of the terminal.
During terminal construction, in-terminal access to Elvis’ Bar and Grill will be closed, but the front entrance will remain open, and the restaurant will continue to operate.
In coordination with Elvis’ Bar and Grill, the time frame for the kitchen and bathroom renovation project has been identified as mid-September to mid-December. The timeline allows Elvis’ Bar and Grill to remain open through the 2022 Pendleton Round-Up and then shut down for renovations.
