SOUTH BEND — Flights could enter and leave the country from South Bend as early as next fall.
Thursday, the St. Joseph County Airport Authority board awarded Ziolkowski Construction Inc. of South Bend the bid to build South Bend International Airport's new federal inspection station, otherwise known as border customs. At $9.02 million, it was the lowest of six bids the airport received.
“I am pleased that our board was able to award the contract to a local contractor,” said Mike Daigle, executive director at the airport. “This project is creating local jobs and impacting the local economy from the onset.”
The board also voted to hire the project's design firm Mead & Hunt Inc. at nearly $1 million to manage the construction project.
Ziolkowski will build a 12,600-square-foot addition — including an elevated walkway — and renovate an existing 26,000-square-foot space to hold a passenger processing station.
The project does not have an official construction start date yet. However, once it is complete, the airport will work as a true international airport and will provide private and commercial aircraft with the ability to go through international customs here.
About 70 internationally registered private aircraft — mostly from Mexico, Ireland and Canada — flew into South Bend during a 12-month period, according to a 2012-2013 airport study. This doesn't include U.S.-registered aircraft belonging to regional companies which do international business.