The Ozarks Technical Community College (OTC) Board of Trustees brought its aircraft maintenance training program a few steps closer to takeoff.
The board approved a general contractor to build its Airframe and Power Plant Building, as well as training equipment for the program and a lease with the city of Springfield for its space during its regular meeting in September.
The decision helps establish an estimated completion date of 2025. A groundbreaking ceremony will be held on Oct. 23.
When completed, the building will have the capacity for two cohorts of 24 students each. The college’s upcoming aviation maintenance program will offer a two-year associate’s degree in aviation maintenance, with an option for a one-year certificate, said Mark Miller, chief media relations officer for the college.
Students will learn about aircraft maintenance and repair, including the airframe, avionics, hydraulics and flight systems. It’s a career field in need of qualified workers and a training program highly in demand, said Kyle McKee, chair of the college’s aviation department.
“Almost every week someone contacts me about it,” McKee said in August. “Either a student looking to enter the program, or someone in the industry looking to hire and when we will have people ready.”
Construction bid chosen
The board selected a construction bid of $8,235,000 from Killian Construction Company. The bid includes an option to construct a building at one of the largest sizes possible on the Springfield-Branson National Airport, according to documentation provided to board members.
With that selection, the board approved a construction package with total costs of $13,207,144.12 for the building. In addition to Killian’s bid, the project includes $463,607.83 in owner-supplied construction costs, $3,441,991.97 in furniture, fixtures and equipment, $681,870.22 in design costs and a 3% contingency fund of $384,674.10.
The building will offer about 29,000 square feet of space, which is more than the college was hoping for. It will offer a hangar, classrooms and more.
“Because bids came in favorably, we had alternates prepared,” Miller said. “We are now able to build one of the top of the line options we were hoping for.”
More equipment purchased
The OTC Board of Trustees also approved $73,617.70 in equipment purchases for the program, including a TIG welder, ultrasonic flaw detector, painting simulator, pitot-static tester (which takes data from aircraft computers) and other lab tools.
The purchase was made for reasons similar to the college's purchase of four aircraft in August, where the board spent $1 million on three airplanes and a helicopter. Miller said money from the federal American Recovery Plan Act comes with deadlines for use.
OTC has received almost $10 million in ARPA grants for the project via allocations from the U.S. Department of Labor, state of Missouri, City of Springfield and Greene County.
Lease with Springfield
The board also approved a ground lease with the City of Springfield for the space where the Airframe and Power Plant Building will be constructed at the Springfield-Branson National Airport. Miller said the land’s location to the airport prevents it from being purchased outright.
The 20-year lease, which starts on the first day of building occupancy, calls for an annual payment starting at $8,138, based on 29,065 square feet of building space at 28 cents per square foot. That payment will increase by 3% every five years.
OTC will be required to keep the building and its grounds maintained and repaired, and will also cover operational costs such as power and water. An option allows OTC to renew the lease for two additional 10-year terms.
