By JIMMY LAWTON

OGDENSBURG -- Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority will today open bids for an estimated $15 million airport improvement project that will expand the runway and allow 177-passenger planes to land in and fly out of the city.

OBPA Executive Director Wade Davis gave a presentation regarding the expansion Monday at the regularly scheduled city council meeting.

Initially flights will be from Allegiant Air, an airline which invested $1 million in the expansion project, but Deputy Mayor Michael Morley said this would likely draw other airlines into the area in the future.

The plan calls for a 1,200-foot expansion of the airport’s runway and involves moving a portion of Route 68. Davis said there have been endless hurtles for the project, but nearly all have been cleared. Davis said the project is ambitious as the OBPA is attempting to complete a 10-year project in a two-year timeline.

According to Davis the expansion will bring an estimated 38,000 visitors to the city annually and will account for millions of dollars in economic impact.

The project will be 95 percent funded by the Federal Aviation Administration with the Department of Transportation and OBPA each supplying 2.5 percent.

Davis said an additional $3 million from the OBPA will be used for a 3,600 square foot terminal expansion, which will be necessary in order to accommodate the larger volume of passengers. Additionally the OBPA will install a 478-space parking lot.

Councilors agreed that the economic impact on the area could be huge, with possible stores, restaurants and other businesses likely to move into the area to capitalize on the large number of consumers flying in and out of the airport.

The construction bids will be open at 3 p.m. today. Davis said this will determine the true cost of the project and set the wheels in motion for construction.

Davis said the only major hindrance for the expansion is the water-sewer hook-ups. Davis said in order to accommodate the needs of the larger terminal the airport will need to hook into the municipal sewer and water lines. Because the airport falls outside of the water/sewer district it would normally be charged additional fees for the hookups.

Davis requested the board to change its existing municipal code to allow public authorities and exemption from the outside user fees.

Davis said the city council has been supportive of the project and has asked what it could do to help make this project happen.

“Well this is what we need,” Davis said.

Although no formal action was taken regarding the change in municipal code, the board directed City Manager John Pinkerton to meet with the authority and sort out the resolution to allow for a public hearing at the council’s next meeting in August.