Airport pushes progress on proposed garage

By MEGAN HUGHES

news@yourdailyglobe.com

Ironwood — The Board of Directors for the Gogebic-Iron County Airport requested at its regular Monday meeting that Logan Olkonen, the Denver Air station manager, gather information regarding a proposed garage that airport officials had researched and placed for bids earlier this year.

According to board member Jim Lorenson, the board had been informed to hold off on any construction efforts by Denver Air officials until more information about flight changes happening around that time had been solidified.

It has been several months since that point, and the board wanted updates.

“You guys told us ‘let’s wait,’” he said to Olkonen. “That is part of the reason we have been wanting to talk to Jon (Coleman), because we would still do it. But you aren’t giving us an answer, much less meeting with us, to let us know what is going on.”

The proposed garage would allow them to store equipment on site for the airline, and would be heated, so as to protect the equipment from the freezing weather.

Lorenson explained the situation for the board.

“We said we would put up a heated storage facility for Denver Air near the terminal,” he said. “It would be big enough to store your equipment. We took bids, and it was about $150,000 for that particular facility. We were ready to pull the trigger, and were told ‘let’s wait, because we may be changing our routes, and there may be a possibility to overnight and leave earlier.’ We haven’t done anything, waiting for you folks.”

Olkonen now will gather information about the airline’s interest in the project moving forward. He assured that he would reach out immediately following the meeting, so that he would be able to provide answers at the board’s next meeting in November.

Board members added that, despite the lack of communication on the garage, they are pleased with the airline’s service, noting that they have heard many good public comments.

In other news, the board heard updates to holiday travel hours: Denver Air will not fly out on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day or New Year’s Day. Flights normally scheduled on those days will be moved to the Saturday following each holiday. On the Friday after Thanksgiving, there will be flights at both 2 p.m. and 2:50 p.m.

Olkonen said anybody who has purchased tickets prior to the holiday schedule being updated will be refunded and given the opportunity to rebook on any other flight.

Board members also:

— Heard an update from Kristi Freemen about the airport being awarded a $1,882 grant.

— Discussed the possibility of using the airport property for driver’s education training. The board voted to table the discussion until the November meeting.