Business News

Airport terminal tax comes to an end

Unique funding mechanism (well, unique for Lafayette) to help finance $90 million passenger terminal could serve as model for future projects.

This preliminary rendering of the new passenger terminal at Lafayette Regional Airport was used to help promote the 1-cent sales tax proposal in 2014.

The sunset provision on the 1-cent sales tax dedicated to fund construction of a new passenger terminal at Lafayette Regional Airport was celebrated at the airport Monday.

The unique funding mechanism, which ended at midnight Monday after being collected since April 1, could serve as a model for future projects.

In Dec. 2014, Lafayette Parish voters overwhelming supported paying an extra penny in sales tax for eight months to replace the outdated and inadequate passenger terminal with a $90 million upgrade. The tax is expected to fund about a third of the project, with the balance coming from state and federal coffers and the sale of bonds.

Construction is expected to commence no sooner than 2017.

On Nov. 25 the first request for qualifications for architectural and engineering services was released as the first of a three-stage process for hiring professionals who will be involved in the new terminal project as well as other maintenance and construction needs. The other two contracts will be for project management and construction.