American DBE Program Spotlight: Mobile International Airport Terminal to Energize the Gulf Coast Region

Mobile International Airport Terminal to Energize the Gulf Coast Region

The Mobile Airport Authority (MAA) in Alabama broke ground on a new airport terminal near Downtown Mobile in the fall of 2022. The project will improve airline travel to the region by moving the passenger terminal much closer to the city. The new facility will also have expanded amenities including an adjacent covered parking facility with access to car rental services, and additional concessions services for visitors to the airport. The $330 million project also creates an economic spark in the region and an opportunity for diverse firms to participate in a critical infrastructure project. The first phase of the terminal consists of a five-gate facility. However, the airport’s master plan includes an eventual 12-gate international terminal fully developed as demand continues to grow in the region.

The Mobile International Airport project has taken several years to come together, but Airport President Chris Curry believes now is the right time for the project to happen. MAA successfully gathered support from the City of Mobile, the County of Mobile, and the Federal Aviation Administration to secure the funding to build this phase of the project without the use of any debt. Curry believes building a debt-free facility provides the airport a competitive edge in attracting new routes from existing airlines and increases the potential of ultimately attracting other airlines to offer service to the airport.

Delta Airlines, United Airlines, and American Airlines currently provide service to Mobile from the Mobile Regional Airport, located 25 miles from downtown Mobile but the new terminal is just five miles from the center of the city and is an easier location to access for travelers. Curry believes easier access to the terminal for travelers will ultimately reduce the number of people from the Mobile Metropolitan Area that chose to travel to other airports for air service due to cost and convenience.

Mobile Airport Authority President Chris Curry gives remarks at the grand re-opening of the Mobile Downtown Airport’s primary runway after a $9.1 million rehabilitation project in October 2021. (Photo courtesy of Mobile Airport Authority)

Economic Development and Business Opportunity

MAA recognizes the project offers a significant opportunity for design and construction firms in the region and is ensuring that DBE firms have the maximum opportunity to participate in the benefits the project will generate. The authority established a 5% goal for the design portion of the project and established a 10.74% goal for the construction activities. The two goals are in line to help the agency reach its overall DBE goal of 10.74% for the 2023-2025 federal fiscal years.

The Authority recruited Rita Barren in November 2022 as its first professional employee with day-to-day responsibility for leading the MAA DBE Program in preparation for the new terminal project. Barren hit the ground running and immediately began working on updating the authority’s DBE Program Plan and DBE Goal Setting Methodology for Federal Aviaton Authority approval. These initiatives were completed in late 2022 and she is now focusing on increasing outreach activities and education programs for DBE firms to prepare them for opportunities on the new terminal project that will ramp up in the summer of 2023.

Barren also engaged the support of a DBE program consultant to help guide the agency through the goal-setting process. This DBE firm, Ken Weeden & Associates, Inc. will stay on board to continue to assist the airport on the new terminal project, providing community engagement, subcontractor outreach, and educational workshops aimed at increasing awareness in the community and identifying new businesses to pursue opportunities on the new terminal project. “There is a lot of interest and excitement in the business community for this project and we want to make sure we give businesses all the information they need to be successful with getting work on this project,” Barren said.

Mobile Airport Authority President Chris Curry (Photo courtesy of Mobile Airport Authority)

Off to a Great Start

MAA selected a design team consisting of HOK, Inc. and FSB Architects & Engineers as the lead designer for the new terminal. The design team also includes Gant Group & Associates, a local architecture firm that is a certified DBE in Alabama. Gant Group & Associates is providing quality control support to the design team including services such as design review, code review, specifications review, and construction administration. Managing Partner Carlos Gant believes this opportunity provides his fouryear-old firm valuable experience in the airport industry that he hopes will lead to more airport projects in the future. “This project helps us grow experience in an area we didn’t have, and allows us to build a lasting relationship with a larger architecture firm that can last into the future,” Gant said.

MAA is finalizing a construction manager at risk (CMAR) contract with JESCO, Inc. who is teamed with Yates Construction, Kiewit, Dortch Figures and Sons, Inc., and Rogers & Willard, Inc. to build the first phase of the terminal. Dortch Figures & Sons (DFS) is another Mobile-based DBE firm that will lead the construction of the new parking garage. The parking garage is the latest and largest project for DFS at the airport after winning their first project with the authority in 2018.

DFS’ CEO Rashawn Figures recognized the potential business opportunities the airport could provide and scheduled a meeting with Airport President Curry in 2018 to find out how his company could get involved. Figures followed Curry’s guidance and quickly won a roofing contract at the airport. Since then, DFS has steadily taken on larger projects leading to the opportunity to participate as a member of the CMAR team on the new terminal. “The airport has enabled us to scale and to grow a resume in airport projects. We knew we could do the work, but it was hard to break into this space. Chris Curry was the critical force to help us break through and now we work as several airports across Alabama,” Figures said.

Rendering of the new Mobile International Airport Terminal Building

These two DBE opportunities fit the vision Curry has for this historic project. He believes the project will create a lasting economic impact on the entire region and provide the opportunity for small and diverse businesses to grow to new levels. “We want to build a facility that represents our region in a positive way, that supports Mobile and Baldwin Counties and is something everyone can be proud of; that will also allow all types of businesses to have a part of the benefit that comes with building this new facility,” Curry said.

Curry says the design of the project is well underway and expects 60% completion by the fall of 2023. Preliminary construction activities are also underway to prepare for the construction of the new terminal to ramp up in the fall as well. MAA’s plan as the terminal moves toward completion is to create a concessions program that highlights the Mobile, Alabama region and offers opportunities for local businesses to operate in the airport. Curry said, “We want the facility to have a sense of place, so we are very conscious of putting a local flavor in the airport.”

Mobile Airport Authority DBE Liaison Officer Rita Barren speaks during an outreach meeting. (Photo courtesy of Mobile Airport Authority)