PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The city was awarded $1 million toward a $30 million project that would build a bigger airport terminal at Presque Isle International Airport.
The $1 million funding from Northern Border Regional Commission opens the possibility of bringing a second air carrier service to the airport, according to airport director Scott Wardwell.
The city already has $8 million dedicated to the project, and another $20.4 million is awaiting final approval by Congress, Wardwell said.
The current Presque Isle International Airport was built in 1954 and is a former air base that is 40 percent undersized and unable to handle the increased volume of travelers coming through it, Wardwell said.
The new terminal is considered vital infrastructure at Aroostook County’s only international airport. The airport connects Presque Isle to terminals in New Jersey and Canada, contributing to the economy of the region.
“It needed to be infrastructure that would support business retention, expansion and position for the region to compete in the global economy,” said Kimberly Smith, resource development and public information officer for Presque Isle.
Smith said competition for the Northern Border Regional Commission grant was stiff. The application was submitted on June 1 and awarded on Aug. 23. The city has already set aside the $250,000 local match necessary to receive the money.
The grant money will be used on airport concession areas and offices for airline operation, TSA and airport management.
The city will apply for additional grants, including one from the Economic Development Administration, to bridge any gaps to the $30 million, Wardwell said.
The terminal project will be sent out to bid in January and February. Construction is expected to begin in June 2024 with a goal completion date of June 2025. The terminal’s design is 30 percent complete, Wardwell said.
Designs for interior finishes and the mechanical systems are due in February 2024, he said.
The Northern Border Regional Commission is supporting the new airport terminal, in part, because of the energy efficient technologies the city plans to incorporate into the building, including better insulation and heat pumps for heating and cooling. A back-up heating system will be installed for colder times of the year.
“The air carrier itself will be looking to use more biomass fuel, and we would position the airport to better use solar energy,” Smith said.
The new terminal will also have universal electric vehicle chargers, but the level of EV chargers is yet to be determined and is being handled by the airport’s engineers, Wardwell said.
The Northern Border Regional Commission is a federal agency that serves upstate New York, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. The grants are awarded to capitalize on local assets to maintain and grow wealth in the region while filling gaps in funding.
