MARQUETTE — The Marquette County Board of Commissioners will consider pre-approval of a construction agreement for a proposed $8.5 million Hangar 665 expansion and water main upgrade project during a virtual meeting at 6 p.m. today.

Four companies provided project bids ranging from $7.9 million to $9.6 million to expand Hangar 665, which according to an article in the Nov. 21 edition of The Mining Journal, serves as the maintenance, repair and overhaul facility for Envoy Air Inc. or American Eagle Airlines.

In addition to the expansion of Hangar 665, the project includes the addition of a foam fire suppression system and an upgrade to the water main “to accommodate the additional water demand,” an agenda supplement states.

The county was awarded a $3.5 million Federal Aviation Administration Military Airports Program Grant in 2019 for calendar year 2020, according to an agenda supplement. Officials hope to fund the remainder of the project with additional MAP grant funding, which county staff will apply for by the end of this year. The additional FAA funding, if awarded, would not be announced until summer 2021.

The project, if approved will be completed in two phases, an agenda supplement states, due to the limited amount of FAA MAP funding this year. The first construction phase will cover the initial $3.8 million worth of work.

“The remaining $4,994,697 needed to complete the project will come through the second construction phase with the next MAP grant that is anticipated to be awarded in the summer of CY (calendar year) 2021,” the supplement states.

The engineering and design portion of the hangar expansion project was awarded to Mead & Hunt Inc. at a cost of roughly $1.22 million in November.

While the first grant is 100% funded with no local match required, the second grant request will require a 10% match, according to the supplement.

The county board will also consider proposals for the purchase of a heavy-duty pickup truck for use by airport maintenance staff and aircraft rescue firefighting and maintenance equipment.

Commissioners will also hear a second quarter report from the Lake Superior Community Partnership.

Participants can join the meeting on the web by visiting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85209866588 or by phone by calling 1-312-626-6799 and entering the webinar ID 852 0986 6588 # when prompted.