An old hangar, that is owned by the town of Smithers, at the Smithers Regional Airport will soon be taken down.
At the Sept. 26 meeting of council, councillors awarded a contract for the hangar’s remediation and demolition to Napp Enterprises Ltd out of Prince George for the price of $82,476.
The building, located at 6315 Mattern Street was built in the late 1960s or early 1970s. In a previous staff report to council, airport manager Rob Blackburn said the building has reached the end of its useful life.
It had been used as a base by drilling companies, expediters, and fuel agents. He said that several significant issues plague the structure. The roof is damaged and leaks and continuous moisture has ruined the insulation resulting in mould in the offices. Many aspects of the structure need significant repairs and the overall condition of the structure is rated as poor.
Also, the building is situated too close to the airport’s taxiway B and prohibits any parking or access to the structure without causing wing tip issues to the active taxiway.
Blackburn added the property where this building sits has been designated as prime air side access. In order to market the property to a new tenant that would utilize the air side, this building needs to be demolished.
The hangar was aquired by the town years ago when a drilling company vacated the lease.
A pre demolition assessment has been conducted which showed there are several contaminants, including asbestos in the building.
Four companies submitted proposals and Napp Enterprises was the lowest, by a large margin.
Councillor Frank Wray asked Blackburn if the proximity of the Prince George company had any weight in choosing them but Blackburn said their price was the biggest factor.
Work should begin this fall.
@MariscaDekkema
marisca.bakker@interior-news.com
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