Taking Flight
New Temple airport terminal will be more than twice the size of existing facility
DAVID STONE | OUR TOWN TEMPLE
A new $7 million terminal at Draughon-Miller Central Texas Regional Airport is expected to be completed by the end of July, and it likely will be operational by early fall.
“We’re getting really excited,” said Airport Director Sean Parker. “The structure is up, and they are putting up the brick and stone. It’s going to be a white brick building with stone ledges and the top part will be a matching stucco.”
The new terminal is more than double the size of the current facility, Parker said.
“Our current terminal is about 3,000 square feet,” he said. “The new facility will increase space to just over 6,000 square feet. About half will be used as offices, and the other half will be for passengers and pilots.”
While the airport does not offer commercial airline service, corporate business is booming as more and more industries are relocating to the Temple area.
“We have a lot of business executives flying in to meet with the Temple Economic Development Corporations or to tend to business at existing companies,” Parker said. “We’ve outgrown our terminal, and we need to present a nice professional atmosphere to corporate executives.”
“In many cases, we are the front door step to the Temple community,” he said. “We intend to hire customer service agents to help us exceed expectations. We are gearing up for the future.”
The new airport terminal will include a large conference room equipped with technology for speakers and presentations, an expanded passenger lounge, a small food area and small rooms where pilots can check weather, fix a bite to eat, take a shower and rest their eyes while they wait for executives to return for the flight home.
“We are waiting until closer to our opening, then we will be taking bids for our food area,” Parker said. “It’s won’t be huge — just enough space for a single vendor to operate a mini-market that sells snacks and microwavable meals. Right now we just have vending machines.”
Parker is hoping a second dining option may be in the airport’s future. The current terminal, part of it was constructed in the 1960s, is still in good condition and may see a second life as a car rental agency and a diner.
“We’re going to reach out to multiple agencies about renting part of the existing terminal,” he said. “I would like to get a restaurant or cafe in there. It would be a fun place to eat and watch the airplanes take off and land.”
The new terminal is not the only project under way at the Temple airport.
“We are in the last month of our corporate hangar expansion,” Parker said. “As more and more companies move to Temple, we will have shovel-ready spots for them to build their own hangars. We need to have utilities in place when they are ready, and right now we have two businesses on a waiting list.”
Parker said the utility expansion is completed and an access road to the expanded hangar area has been carved out.
“The curbing is complete, and it’s almost ready for paving,” he said.
Another airport project is a 250-foot crosswind runway extension that would bring the total length to 5,000 feet.
“This would also involve a 125-foot connecting taxiway,” he said. “This is a safety thing — right now the taxiway can be a little confusing to pilots.”
“We also working on removing trees and vegetation around the runways,” he said. “This will help reduce airport deer and bird populations.”
Parker said Temple’s airport is feeling a ripple-effect from companies wanting to escape big cities.
“They want to get away from Austin and the hustle and bustle,” he said. “And they want to come somewhere affordable. Temple is in a great position and we need to be ready.”
Parker said the airport has received a TxDOT grant to refurbish the existing ramp area and repave the main runway.
“The design work has already started and we’re hoping to get this going by September or October,” he said. “The project will fill in any cracks on the runway, reseal the surface and repaint lines on the runway and taxiways.”
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