Plans to erect new hangars at Reading Regional Airport are moving forward, with the airport authority accepting a bid to prepare the sites.
At a meeting Tuesday, the authority awarded a $2.36 million contract to Kinsley Construction of York County. The company will handle infrastructure development that will include grading, pavement and utility construction for three proposed hangars.
Berks County Commissioner Christian Leinbach, who serves as authority chairman, said the bid was by far the lowest received.
The contract is part of the preparations for a major construction venture at the Bern Township airfield.
Wyomissing-based Gaming and Leisure Properties plans to build a 24,000-square-foot hangar. The authority will build two 15,000-square-foot hangars on the same site that will serve Reading Aviation customers.
Also on Tuesday, the authority rejected bids received for construction of the three hangars.
Zackary Tempesco, Reading Regional Airport director, said that was done because Gaming and Leisure Properties has informed the authority that it plans to construct its own hangar instead of building in partnership with the authority.
The initial plan was for the authority to build a hangar that would be leased by the company.
Tempesco also said the authority has learned of funding opportunities through the U.S. Department of Agriculture that could impact the construction costs of the two hangars.
“So, we will be looking to rebid the two airport hangars,” he said.