Plans for a new terminal at Draughon–Miller Central Texas Regional Airport will go before Temple City Council on Thursday, according to Airport Director Sean Parker. If approved, a new terminal would double the size of the current facility and include offices, a large high-tech conference room, a single-vendor food court and personal space for pilots and corporate customers.

DAVID STONE | June 14, 2022

A plan to replace the terminal at Temple’s airport is expected to be approved by City Council on Thursday, paving the way for a new $7 million facility that will provide staff and visitors with more than double the current space.

A new terminal is one of several improvement projects in the works at Draughon–Miller Central Texas Regional Airport.

“Our current terminal is about 3,000 square feet,” Airport Director Sean Parker said earlier today. “Our proposed terminal will increase space to just over 6,000 square feet. About half would be used as offices, and the other half would be for passengers and pilots.”

While the airport does not offer commercial airline service, corporate business is booming as more and more industry is relocating to the Temple area.

“We have a lot of business executives flying in to meet with the Temple Economic Development Corporation or to tend to business at existing companies,” Parker said. “We’ve outgrown our terminal, and we need to present a nice professional atmosphere to corporate executives.”

“In many cases, we are the front door step to the Temple community,” he said. “We intend to hire customer service agents to help us exceed expectations. We are gearing up for the future.”

The new terminal would include an enlarged conference room equipped with technology for speakers and presentations, an expanded passenger lounge, a food court and small rooms where pilots can check weather, fix a bite to eat, take a shower and rest their eyes while they wait for executives to return for the flight home.

“We will be taking bids for the food court,” Parker said. “It won’t be huge — enough space for a single vendor. Right now we just have vending machines.”

If Council gives the project the green light, Emerson Construction Co. and KPA Engineers will move into the pre-construction phase of the project.

“If we can break ground in July, the terminal should be finished by early summer 2023,” Parker said.

Parker said the project had an initial estimated cost of about $5 million, but pandemic-related shipping issues and shortages of materials and manpower have driven costs up significantly.

The new terminal is not the only project on the table for the Temple airport.

“We’re breaking ground June 27 on a corporate hangar expansion,” Parker said. “As more and more companies move to Temple, we will have shovel-ready spots for them to build their own hangars. We need to have utilities in place when they are ready, and right now we have two businesses on a waiting list.”

Parker is meeting with Texas Department of Transportation officials Wednesday to request a 200-foot crosswind runway extension that would bring the total length to 5,000 feet.

“This would also involve a connecting taxiway,” he said. “This is a safety thing — right now the taxiway can be a little confusing to pilots.”

“We also working on removing trees and vegetation around the runways,” he said. “This will help reduce airport deer and bird populations.”

Parker said Temple’s airport is feeling a ripple-effect from companies wanting to escape big cities.

“They want to get away from Austin and the hustle and bustle,” he said. “And they want to come somewhere affordable. Temple is in a great position and we need to be ready.”

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Tuesday’s best bets

• Celebrate Salado becoming certified as a Music Friendly Community by the Texas Governor’s Music Office. 5:30 p.m. Live music by Wayworn Traveler at Shady Villa Hotel. Food, drinks and family friendly. 

• Temple Coyotes FC soccer at Woodson Field. Fun starts at 6, game starts at 7:30 p.m.

• Tuesday on the Trails. 8:30 a.m. Join Kathy Patterson “KP” each Tuesday as she leads you on a different trail with a different challenge! One winner per week. Walking not only promotes physical activity and prevents stiffness, but it also stimulates your brain and aids in weight management. See you on the trails! Call 254.298.5403 or stop by for a trail schedule.

• Tai Chi at Sammons Community Center. 3 p.m. This ancient Chinese exercise and martial art promote vitality, balance, strength, and longevity. Using special breathing techniques and slow, precise physical movements, Tai Chi can help curtail arthritis, respiratory disease, and high blood pressure. Regular practice of this “Moving Meditation” also provides health benefits of stress reduction, mental alertness, and increased energy. This on-going course is adaptable for all levels of mobility. Led by Christopher Dow, who has practiced this and related Chi Kung exercise forms for 42 years. For more information, call 254.298.5403.

  CALENDAR OF EVENTS

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On this day in 1886, Conger Neblett was born in Corsicana. In 1926 she married Jack Hagar, a Bostonian who had come to Texas because of his interests in oil and real estate. In 1935 the Hagars moved to Rockport, where Connie Hagar spent the rest of her life as an amateur bird-watcher and gained the respect of professional ornithologists in Europe and the United States. The "Texas bird lady" added over twenty new species to the avifauna list of the state and was the first to report numerous species of migratory birds, including several that were thought to be extinct. She died in 1973 and was buried in a spot overlooking the wildlife sanctuary that bears her name..