Plans for the design and construction of a T-hangar building at Freeman Municipal Airport are beginning to take shape.

The hangar was discussed during a recent Seymour Municipal Airport Authority meeting.

Funding will come from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed by Congress six months ago, from which the airport is getting $159,000 a year for the next five years, said Katie England, the airport’s representative with Butler, Fairman and Seufert Inc. engineering firm in Indianapolis.

“We are still waiting on information about the grant application process, and the 2022 funds are available up through Sept. 30, so we will have more information soon,” she said.

At this time, she said the airport is planning on submitting the hangar development design as the first grant and then maybe put some of those funds toward construction of the actual hangar.

“There’s no pressure to spend your infrastructure funds this year,” England said. “You’re going to have them when you decide to spend them. You could also let them accumulate for next year or the year after.“

Board President Brian Thompson asked England if they would have the opportunity to invest the funds and let them grow, but England said the funds would always be a reimbursement, unlike the COVID-19 relief funds that were received by check.

A survey recently was conducted to determine what features potential tenants would want. The results are being tabulated right now, and BF&S will design the hangars accordingly.

Prior to the board meeting, England, Thompson and Airport Manager Don Furlow discussed plans for the hangar.

“Jason Clearwaters with BF&S is the design engineer, so he’s going to be putting together the conceptual designs for the hangar,” England said. “We will keep you posted and expect to have some plans over the next two to three months.”

The location will be just to the west of the three northeast T-hangars. Exact orientation will be determined by the final configuration of the building, Federal Aviation Administration-required setback from taxiways and future planned land use.

“Right now, we’re looking at eight and maybe up to 10 normal size T-hangar bays with at least one large bay constructed on one or both ends of the T-hangar building,” Thompson said.

These larger bays with the opening in the end will be big enough to accommodate an aircraft as large as a King Air with the intention of attracting corporate aircraft.

Regardless of the number of bays, Thompson said the plan is for each hangar space to have a concrete floor and an overhead electric door. Between each space, there will be full-height partitions.

The estimated rental cost of the new spaces has not yet been decided due to fluctuating construction costs, but it will be a reasonable value, Thompson said.

Victoria Taylor, administrative assistant at the airport, said there are currently four T-hangars, and there are 10 bays in each one.

There are two spots currently open in the T-hangars, but those must be left open in case of inclement weather, transient pilots or other issues that may arise, Taylor said.

“Right now, we have 17 pilots on the wait list, and 10 of those are powered aircraft, and seven are gliders,” she said.

Larry Bothe, curator and treasurer of the Freeman Army Airfield Museum, said it is likely as the new construction nears completion and the airport authority begins to accept deposits on the new spaces, the first offering will be to existing hangar tenants who want to move up in accommodations.

“Once the move-ups are taken care of, then they will go to the hangar waiting list at the present time, assuming there will in fact be some move-ups,” Bothe said. “Each person on the waiting list, in order, will be offered the choice of a cheaper old T-hanger or a more costly new one as long as both are available.”

Bothe predicts after the dust settles, essentially everybody who wants a hangar space will have one.