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Hector Airport expansion
Looks like the additional airline service to Fargo has pushed this project ahead:
http://www.in-forum.com/articles/ind...p;section=News
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Re: Hector Airport expansion
They said tonite on the news it could be 2 million over expected costs.
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Re: Hector Airport expansion
With flights to Minneapolis, Chicago, Denver,Salt Lake City, and Vegas, hopefully this will make it easier to get teams to come play games in Fargo. (Doesn't really help for football because the Saltlake, Chicago, and Denver flights only seat 50. But, it will help for Basketball, Soccer, Volleyball,Baseball..)
BTW Next month the Vegas NWest flight is moving to the afternoon instead of the late PM flight they have now.
The only way Fargo's airport could be any more accessible for us and our opponents is if they actually landed on the roof fargodome.
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Re: Hector Airport expansion
Quote:
Originally Posted by sambini
They said tonite on the news it could be 2 million over expected costs.
Good thing is, taxpayers aren't paying for it. The airport has enough money with the fees it collects from airlines and other items. (Technically though, everyone in America will be chipping in with the Federal Portion.... something like $ .05)
Glad to see we've got enough business going on to keep expanding.
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Re: Hector Airport expansion
Let's necromancy this thread back with an all new(and much, much bigger) Hector expansion. Four additional gates, another baggage carousel, more ticketing space, moving security to the restaurant that's never open, straight shot for the new combined concourse, three post-security concession areas with one being a much larger lounge. Possible future parking garage, but that will have to be a separate project as federal funds can't be used for revenue-producing projects.
Pretty nice renderings: https://www.fargoairport.com/wp-cont...-Packet_sm.pdf
Early basic floorplans on slides 12 & 13: https://www.fargoairport.com/wp-cont...nt-meeting.pdf
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Re: Hector Airport expansion
It needs to happen fricken Delta and probably United is making hay on Fargo travelers not so bad just one person but you get a family, for me anyways maybe I'm just too anal about pinching pennies when it comes to family travel. It's worth the 4 hour drive to MSP and hotel stay at that not to have to pay $1000 more for airline tickets. I still come out $7-800 ahead by going to MSP, many times the times are better suited too and you have more choices than Delta/United/American.
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Re: Hector Airport expansion
I fly through Fargo probably 5x a year, usually during holidays. Never have I once ever thought to myself “Gee this place could really use a larger terminal” lol
Favorite part of flying into Fargo is late at night they have all these gates they never use, but when your plane lands you have to sit on the tarmac for 25 minutes while they unload another plane because they don’t have the staff to use a second gate.
Hilarious watching social media comments freaking out about the one thing it actually does need, parking and/or a skyway.
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Re: Hector Airport expansion
Good to see. Business I'm in makes extensive use of Hector International. Great to see expansion plans taking shape. Would LOVE to see another regular connection to a delta hub in addition to MSP like Atlanta or Detroit to open up more direct flight locations in Europe other than Paris or Amsterdam.
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Re: Hector Airport expansion
In 2016, there were 400k enplanements. In 2019, there were 470k. They're projecting 560k in 2025 once the travel recovery is complete, 610k in 2030, 680k in 2035, and 740k in 2040. (That's based off a 2.12% growth rate.) Far better to build ahead of the demand instead of trying to catch up.
Besides, what Hector needs desperately is a relocated security checkpoint and more ticketing and ticketing queuing areas. Baggage is okay for now, but it's already getting close to its limits under peak load. Increase enplanements by 25% within 5 years over the 2019 numbers and problems could start to build quickly.
But what Hector needs above all else is a much better layout. The lower level is good enough, but the upper level is a shitshow ever since they added the security checkpoint after 9/11. If anything, the 2008 expansion made it worse. While 9 gates is certainly overkill for what Hector needs for quite awhile, I bet it will make the renovation of the existing areas without disrupting operations so, so much easier. They'll leave the old part of the terminal alone while they add on the new gates. They'll probably build the new security checkpoints at the same time. Once finished with phase 1, they'll transfer all operations over to the new gates so they can demo the interiors and remodel the old gates. Once everything is done, they'll spread out the different airlines so everyone gets their own gate(s).
After discarding my first guess, my second guess is that Delta or United will get gates 1-3(they won't use all three, but they'll be allocated that way to minimize the chances of major disruptions later on). 4 and 5 will go to American and Frontier in whatever order. 6 will go to Allegiant. And 7-9 will go the other of Delta/United. The big caveat to this plan is if airport operations says spreading all the airlines out would cause staffing stress. Then I could see them trying to keep the active gates to 2-6/7 and only use 1, (7), 8 & 9 when necessary.
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Re: Hector Airport expansion
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Hammersmith
In 2016, there were 400k enplanements. In 2019, there were 470k. They're projecting 560k in 2025 once the travel recovery is complete, 610k in 2030, 680k in 2035, and 740k in 2040. (That's based off a 2.12% growth rate.) Far better to build ahead of the demand instead of trying to catch up.
Besides, what Hector needs desperately is a relocated security checkpoint and more ticketing and ticketing queuing areas. Baggage is okay for now, but it's already getting close to its limits under peak load. Increase enplanements by 25% within 5 years over the 2019 numbers and problems could start to build quickly.
But what Hector needs above all else is a much better layout. The lower level is good enough, but the upper level is a shitshow ever since they added the security checkpoint after 9/11. If anything, the 2008 expansion made it worse. While 9 gates is certainly overkill for what Hector needs for quite awhile, I bet it will make the renovation of the existing areas without disrupting operations so, so much easier. They'll leave the old part of the terminal alone while they add on the new gates. They'll probably build the new security checkpoints at the same time. Once finished with phase 1, they'll transfer all operations over to the new gates so they can demo the interiors and remodel the old gates. Once everything is done, they'll spread out the different airlines so everyone gets their own gate(s).
After discarding my first guess, my second guess is that Delta or United will get gates 1-3(they won't use all three, but they'll be allocated that way to minimize the chances of major disruptions later on). 4 and 5 will go to American and Frontier in whatever order. 6 will go to Allegiant. And 7-9 will go the other of Delta/United. The big caveat to this plan is if airport operations says spreading all the airlines out would cause staffing stress. Then I could see them trying to keep the active gates to 2-6/7 and only use 1, (7), 8 & 9 when necessary.
I think they are moving the checkpoints so people arent pushed to the edge of the escalator. One of the big changes is food and restaurants on the security side of the check point
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Re: Hector Airport expansion
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Originally Posted by
HerdBot
I think they are moving the checkpoints so people arent pushed to the edge of the escalator. One of the big changes is food and restaurants on the security side of the check point
They're moving security because it interrupts the flow of the concourse, creates tons of chokepoints, and that it's overwhelmed and can't be expanded where it is. It's hard to tell exactly how many new lines will be created in the move, but it looks like there will be a minimum of four full lines when complete, maybe more.
The new terminal will have:
1 initial pre-security food and beverage location @1200sqft(coffee and sandwiches)
2 initial post-security F&B locations @3400sqft(full service sit down restaurant and bar) and 1600sqft(sit down coffee/cocktail hybrid)
2 initial retail locations @1170sqft(travel essentials, news, gifts, apparel) and 300sqft(travel essentials)
1 future pre-security F&B location @530sqft (other)
2 future post-security F&B locations @635sqft(bakery/deli and pizza) and 300sqft(other)
1 future retail location @700sqft
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Re: Hector Airport expansion
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Hammersmith
They're moving security because it interrupts the flow of the concourse, creates tons of chokepoints, and that it's overwhelmed and can't be expanded where it is. It's hard to tell exactly how many new lines will be created in the move, but it looks like there will be a minimum of four full lines when complete, maybe more.
The new terminal will have:
1 initial pre-security food and beverage location @1200sqft(coffee and sandwiches)
2 initial post-security F&B locations @3400sqft(full service sit down restaurant and bar) and 1600sqft(sit down coffee/cocktail hybrid)
2 initial retail locations @1170sqft(travel essentials, news, gifts, apparel) and 300sqft(travel essentials)
1 future pre-security F&B location @530sqft (other)
2 future post-security F&B locations @635sqft(bakery/deli and pizza) and 300sqft(other)
1 future retail location @700sqft
Are they gonna staff all these places up or do like now and leave everything empty??
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Re: Hector Airport expansion
Quote:
Originally Posted by
NDSU92
Are they gonna staff all these places up or do like now and leave everything empty??
I was going to say the one biggest thing they could do today would be to actually staff the place fully. That means every position form check in to gate attendants.
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Re: Hector Airport expansion
Quote:
Originally Posted by
TAILG8R
I was going to say the one biggest thing they could do today would be to actually staff the place fully. That means every position form check in to gate attendants.
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Isn't ticketing/checkin and gate up to the airlines? Not necessarily airport employees. I'd say adding gates gives airlines reason to hire more.
That all said I don't know the last time I even went to a check-in counter. Just to drop off checked bags. I'm sure an issue could come up that they'll be helpful.
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Re: Hector Airport expansion
The parking ramp would be nice.
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Re: Hector Airport expansion
Most of the time the self check in kiosks in Fargo aren’t working, so you have to go stand in line for 30 minutes while every airline’s F Troop takes all the time in the world checking people in
They don’t have enough staff to man the gates when planes land. Not sure how adding more gates helps when you already are using less than 50% of the gates you have.
A little bit of crowding would be nice at Hector. Then maybe it would make sense to have better food options.
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Re: Hector Airport expansion
Quote:
Originally Posted by
NDSU92
Most of the time the self check in kiosks in Fargo aren’t working, so you have to go stand in line for 30 minutes while every airline’s F Troop takes all the time in the world checking people in
They don’t have enough staff to man the gates when planes land. Not sure how adding more gates helps when you already are using less than 50% of the gates you have.
A little bit of crowding would be nice at Hector. Then maybe it would make sense to have better food options.
I'm not too worried about the food options. If I eat at an airport, its during a connection. Can't say I've had a connection in Fargo yet
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Re: Hector Airport expansion
Sounds like most grocery stores with 10 or more checkout lanes and you're lucky if three of them are staffed.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
NDSU92
Most of the time the self check in kiosks in Fargo aren’t working, so you have to go stand in line for 30 minutes while every airline’s F Troop takes all the time in the world checking people in
They don’t have enough staff to man the gates when planes land. Not sure how adding more gates helps when you already are using less than 50% of the gates you have.
A little bit of crowding would be nice at Hector. Then maybe it would make sense to have better food options.
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Re: Hector Airport expansion
Having flown Hector last week, agree, the main issue is staffing.
It took longer at baggage claim (CRJ) in Fargo than in my destination (A319).
Next issue? You might as well park at Newman Field or Fargodome and take an Uber the last mile.
Finally, regarding expansion, I'll let those with the projections decide. But I could see the need for a couple gates down the road, if nothing else to allow for updates on existing (a refresh cycle).
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Re: Hector Airport expansion
I have made a couple of trips in and out of Hector this year and like others have mentioned, staffing is the biggest issue.
Hoping that the new gate structure will allow Delta (main carrier I fly) an option to go West. SLC would be perfect for me and fit in with their expanded operations out of that hub.
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Re: Hector Airport expansion
I fly out of Hector roughly once a month and I guess I’ll claim minimalist efficient traveler here but I have absolutely zero issues whatsoever.
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Re: Hector Airport expansion
Quote:
Originally Posted by
heffray
I fly out of Hector roughly once a month and I guess I’ll claim minimalist efficient traveler here but I have absolutely zero issues whatsoever.
Carry-on luggage = Zero issues for me.
Checked = Slight wait to drop off (not a big deal IMHO) and a longer than normal wait for pickup. By how much seems to depend on the time of arrival.
Overall I will give Hector a A- out of all the airports I wind up in during my travels.
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Re: Hector Airport expansion
Quote:
Originally Posted by
1998braves64
It needs to happen fricken Delta and probably United is making hay on Fargo travelers not so bad just one person but you get a family, for me anyways maybe I'm just too anal about pinching pennies when it comes to family travel. It's worth the 4 hour drive to MSP and hotel stay at that not to have to pay $1000 more for airline tickets. I still come out $7-800 ahead by going to MSP, many times the times are better suited too and you have more choices than Delta/United/American.
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I completely agree. Family of 6 here normally saves well over 1k by driving to MSP. Plus for whatever reason the last time we went to MSP we walked thru security (NO WAIT). Still don't understand that one considering it was the day before Thanksgiving or what experts call the busiest travel day in the US.
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Re: Hector Airport expansion
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Originally Posted by
stevdock
I completely agree. Family of 6 here normally saves well over 1k by driving to MSP. Plus for whatever reason the last time we went to MSP we walked thru security (NO WAIT). Still don't understand that one considering it was the day before Thanksgiving or what experts call the busiest travel day in the US.
Going to Fargo in August for a wedding. Saved $200 each to fly to Minneapolis. 4 of us so that's an $800 savings. Also saved $200 on the car rental getting an offsite Avis Car rather than the airport. Considered driving from Indy but saving the day of driving was worth it.
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Re: Hector Airport expansion
Quote:
Originally Posted by
IndyBison
Going to Fargo in August for a wedding. Saved $200 each to fly to Minneapolis. 4 of us so that's an $800 savings. Also saved $200 on the car rental getting an offsite Avis Car rather than the airport. Considered driving from Indy but saving the day of driving was worth it.
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You say you saved $200 on the auto rental by going off airport but did not say how much the net rental was. Assume it still consumed a good chunk of that $800 airfare saving yes?
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Re: Hector Airport expansion
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Originally Posted by
GreenfieldBison
You say you saved $200 on the auto rental by going off airport but did not say how much the net rental was. Assume it still consumed a good chunk of that $800 airfare saving yes?
Airport rental would have been $500 for the week and off airport car rental is $320. Intermediate SUV through Avis for 5 days. We were going to have to rent a car in Fargo as well which would have been $520-$620 depending on location so we still saved over that. Renting the vehicle from Indy would been about $325 also so the rental price we are paying is about the same but less fuel. The flights were all less than $300 round trip so we are paying for the convenience and time. A day or two of vacation justifies it some (one sonis paying for his own flight and other is paying half because he stayingan extra day).. My time off right now is unpaid so that covers some of it too. It close to a wash on driving from Indy!
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Re: Hector Airport expansion
Rented Avis for our summer trip to Utah and Arizona at Vegas airport and was not impressed. It was a Friday afternoon (early) but for whatever reason avis was struggling the others didn't seem to be. We got in at like 12:40, we didn't leave the parking lot until about 2:20. They gave us a range of numbers our suv was going to be and said very assuredly that it was a black Durango, after about 10 minutes in the lot at said numbers we saw a white one pull up. I was like well they told us very pointedly ours was black thinking that the color of color couldn't screw that up. After about 2 or 3 minutes my wife was like I'm going to check the plate sure enough it was our vehicle. The only thing black was the mirrors and rims, everything else pure white.
Didn't really check off-site locations too much as always seems like a hassle to go another ride somewhere. Anyways Vegas has a lot of weird rules regarding car rentals apparently.
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Re: Hector Airport expansion
Quote:
Originally Posted by
IndyBison
Airport rental would have been $500 for the week and off airport car rental is $320. Intermediate SUV through Avis for 5 days. We were going to have to rent a car in Fargo as well which would have been $520-$620 depending on location so we still saved over that. Renting the vehicle from Indy would been about $325 also so the rental price we are paying is about the same but less fuel. The flights were all less than $300 round trip so we are paying for the convenience and time. A day or two of vacation justifies it some (one sonis paying for his own flight and other is paying half because he stayingan extra day).. My time off right now is unpaid so that covers some of it too. It close to a wash on driving from Indy!
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Always a good decision to trade wealth for time. You can get more wealth.
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Re: Hector Airport expansion
Quote:
Originally Posted by
1998braves64
Rented Avis for our summer trip to Utah and Arizona at Vegas airport and was not impressed. It was a Friday afternoon (early) but for whatever reason avis was struggling the others didn't seem to be. We got in at like 12:40, we didn't leave the parking lot until about 2:20. They gave us a range of numbers our suv was going to be and said very assuredly that it was a black Durango, after about 10 minutes in the lot at said numbers we saw a white one pull up. I was like well they told us very pointedly ours was black thinking that the color of color couldn't screw that up. After about 2 or 3 minutes my wife was like I'm going to check the plate sure enough it was our vehicle. The only thing black was the mirrors and rims, everything else pure white.
Didn't really check off-site locations too much as always seems like a hassle to go another ride somewhere. Anyways Vegas has a lot of weird rules regarding car rentals apparently.
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We did offsite for our last rental in Phoenix in March. Saved $150-$200 and paid $20 each way for the Uber. The car rental center at PHX is a 10-15 minute bus ride, so it wasn't much different anyway. I've been an Avis customer for a long time and have rarely had issues. In a customer service world you are going to run into issues occasionally so I look more at a body of work than isolated incidents.
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Re: Hector Airport expansion
Quote:
Originally Posted by
IndyBison
We did offsite for our last rental in Phoenix in March. Saved $150-$200 and paid $20 each way for the Uber. The car rental center at PHX is a 10-15 minute bus ride, so it wasn't much different anyway. I've been an Avis customer for a long time and have rarely had issues. In a customer service world you are going to run into issues occasionally so I look more at a body of work than isolated incidents.
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Definitely isolated I've never used them. Not fatal by any means.
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Re: Hector Airport expansion
Hector set another monthly record for passenger boardings of 40,969 in May and 214,414 year to date. Year to date is also a record.
The May number nearly beat Grand Forks year to date of 41,267.
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Re: Hector Airport expansion
Parking ramp here we come!!!
Quote:
The Fargo Municipal Airport Authority Board voted unanimously on Tuesday, Dec. 12, to proceed with building a 977-stall, four-level ramp that will be connected to the terminal via a skyway.
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Re: Hector Airport expansion
Quote:
Originally Posted by
TAILG8R
Hopefully not the same architect that did the RDO ramp downtown. That thing is a disaster. My BIL works there, says pickups can't even make some of the turns. Seems like it was built for euro style tiny cars.
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Re: Hector Airport expansion
Quote:
Originally Posted by
roadwarrior
Hector set another monthly record for passenger boardings of 40,969 in May and 214,414 year to date. Year to date is also a record.
The May number nearly beat Grand Forks year to date of 41,267.
In fairness, what flies out of GFK besides crop dusters?
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Re: Hector Airport expansion
Quote:
Originally Posted by
taper
Hopefully not the same architect that did the RDO ramp downtown. That thing is a disaster. My BIL works there, says pickups can't even make some of the turns. Seems like it was built for euro style tiny cars.
Giant pickups don't belong in most parking ramps although that one on Block 9 threw me off the first couple of times I parked in there.
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Re: Hector Airport expansion
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Originally Posted by
Hammerhead
Giant pickups don't belong in most parking ramps although that one on Block 9 threw me off the first couple of times I parked in there.
This is North Dakota, and a ramp built explicitly for an ag based company. Not accounting for pickups is pure incompetence.
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Re: Hector Airport expansion
Quote:
Originally Posted by
taper
This is North Dakota, and a ramp built explicitly for an ag based company. Not accounting for pickups is pure incompetence.
That ramp isn't explicitly for RDO though. Hotel guests and other tenants of block 9.
The only way they could have made it wider was to get rid of the alley and loading dock area for the block 9 building, that likely wasn't happening for a building like that.
Roberts commons ramp isn't much better I barely get my car around a corner when meeting another vehicle forced you to stay to the right. Got hung up in a 4 car jam for about a minute before someone finally backed up.
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Re: Hector Airport expansion
Quote:
Originally Posted by
1998braves64
That ramp isn't explicitly for RDO though. Hotel guests and other tenants of block 9.
The only way they could have made it wider was to get rid of the alley and loading dock area for the block 9 building, that likely wasn't happening for a building like that.
Roberts commons ramp isn't much better I barely get my car around a corner when meeting another vehicle forced you to stay to the right. Got hung up in a 4 car jam for about a minute before someone finally backed up.
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If it’s wide enough for two way traffic there’s plenty of room.
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Re: Hector Airport expansion
ITT people who are experiencing parking ramps for the first time.
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Re: Hector Airport expansion
Quote:
Originally Posted by
taper
This is North Dakota, and a ramp built explicitly for an ag based company. Not accounting for pickups is pure incompetence.
As all city owned parking ramps, i's free to the public for the first 2 hours, after 5 pm and on weekends. Huge public benefit