Nearly $347 million and almost four years.
That's how much it could cost, and how long it could take, to expand the existing terminal at Southwest Florida International Airport.
That expansion was supposed to have been completed late last year to better serve a growing number of passengers at the airport, usually known by its aviation initials: RSW.
The Lee County Port Authority has published the agenda for the special board of commissioners meeting on Monday, March 24.
The three companies originally hired to do the work are submitting bids for new contracts. Those three want to re-do some parts of the expansion, and finish all of it.
The work's been stopped for the past year because of concerns the plans were flawed, and could cause the roof of the existing terminal to blow off in a category five hurricane.
Contractor Manhattan Construction wants another $307.6 million to finish the job.
The design company, AtkinsRéalis, also known as Atkins North America, wants about $9.6 million to come up with new plans. Atkins has admitted that its original plans may have been flawed.
The engineering and inspection company, EG Solutions, wants just under $12.6 million to continue working.
The money would not come from local property taxes. The port authority would use grants from governments, and fees from airlines, to pay off airport revenue bonds to fund the work.
Each company is asking for a contract running three years and eight months to finish the work. That means each firm would have until roughly the end of 2028 to do the job.
The five Lee County Commissioners will be asked to approve the contracts. They also serve as the board of commissioners for the Lee County Port Authority.
If the board votes no on any of the contracts, it would mean additional time to hire a new company.
The companies signed their first contracts in 2021. Those original contracts called for a total payout of about $330 million to do the entire job. Those contracts expire at the end of March.
Phase one expansion is supposed to connect the three concourses at the existing terminal, provide more space for security checkpoints and generally make for a more comfortable airport experience.
WGCU is y our trusted source for news and information in Southwest Florida. Mike Walcher is a reporter at WGCU, and also teaches journalism at FGCU.