'Constant maintenance nightmare': Phillip Billard Airport terminal to come down as new terminal is completed

TOPEKA (KSNT) - Long-overdue improvements to a local airport will bring it into the 21st century.

KSNT 27 News spoke with Eric Johnson, airport president/director of airports with the Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority (MTAA), about what will be changing at Phillip Billard Airport in the near future. Plans laid out by the MTAA show that a brand-new terminal will be built to replace the old one with an expected completion date around June 2024.

The project to replace the old terminal at the airport was first unveiled in December, 2022 alongside plans to replace a passenger boarding bridge at the Topeka Regional Airport. At the time, Johnson said the projects would help improve the look of both airports and receive funding through grants. When asked how much the project for the new terminal will cost, Johnson said a low bid of around $4,670,000 was given for the construction of the new terminal and razing of the old.

Johnson said the decision was made to destroy the old terminal building due to a multitude of maintenance problems. Among the most prominent issues are HVAC struggles, electrical problems and a faulty drain system. Johnson described the old terminal's issues as a "constant maintenance nightmare."

Johnson said the old terminal will be razed once the new terminal is finished. The old terminal contains a local restaurant called Tammy's, operating on a month-to-month lease, and the Fixed Base Operator. The MTAA will seek a restaurant to occupy a space within the new terminal starting July 10, 2023 with Johnson saying, "the individual best suited to meet the needs will be selected."

"With a new facility, we are opening this up to all interested parties," Johnson said. "Tammy’s has been encouraged to submit a proposal for the new space once it is advertised."

KSNT 27 News reached out to the owner of Tammy's for comment.

You can take a look at the MTAA's plans for the new terminal below:

MTAA records say the Phillip Billard Airport was first opened to the public in 1940. The airport was dedicated to Phillip L. Billard, a prominent Topeka resident and military pilot during WWI. The MTAA was later created to oversee the airport and other facilities formerly operated by the U.S. military in 1974.