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Airport rebuild nearly complete after November 2020 fire damage

Lead Summary
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By
Lori Sorenson

Luverne City Council members toured the new arrival and departure building at the municipal airport Tuesday night, June 21.
The previous structure was damaged by a fire in the fall of 2020 and was rebuilt using most of the steel girders of the existing structure, which includes the fixed base operation shop.
Because of the building’s age (about 30 years) much of the electrical wiring and utilities needed to be updated to current code. Also, a floor drain was required as well as a water and oil separator.
In addition, the council approved upgrades not required by code in order to update the building’s efficiency and aesthetics.
For example, higher-efficiency windows replaced older, drafty ones, and a larger overhead door on the east side allows FBO Ben Baum to work on helicopters.
Most of the cost of the new building was covered by the city’s insurance company, but the city paid for upgrades not related to the fire.
“We got a nicer building in the end,” City Administrator John Call said Tuesday during the tour.
There was one bidder on the project, Empire Building Construction, who bid $881,000 and alternates in the amount of $143,730.
 
New hangar construction
In other airport news, construction is underway on a new four-unit hangar to meet demand for rental space.
The airport has had 100-percent hangar occupancy for many years, with waiting lists and frequent active inquiries for hangar space.
NuAge Builders of Sioux Falls was the low bidder at $729,960 with all the alternates included.
Construction is due to be finished by this fall.

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