LAS CRUCES — Doña Ana County commissioners approved an agreement to bring the first tenant to the county jetport in Santa Teresa.
With an unanimous 5-0 vote at a July 12 meeting, the board of county commissioners approved a land lease contract between the county and Burrell Aviation Doña Ana, LLC. The local division of Burrell Aviation plans to construct a new air cargo handling facility, cold storage, distribution center and aircraft maintenance hangars at the Doña Ana County International Jetport.
Jetport Manager William Provance told commissioners the development of air cargo capability at the jetport will support growth in the Santa Teresa Industrial Park and bring new jobs. Provance said Burrell plans to build the four structures, which will cost about $72 million, over the next three years.
“This really is the opening of the utilization of the jetport unlike what we’ve ever seen before,” County Manager Fernando Macias told the commission. “This is our first tenant agreement to come forward, and there will be others that will ultimately encompass the remaining 200 to 250 acres.”
The lease contract lasts 30 years and has a 10-year extension option. Along with the county commission, the lease contract will also require New Mexico State Board of Finance approval.
The lease agreement will cost Burrell 19 cents per square foot, Provance said, which amounts to about $372,860 per year. Burell will lease 45,051 acres of land.
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The contract requires the county to upgrade its runway and several taxiways and to construct ramps and related airport infrastructure all in service of accommodating larger and heavier aircraft — specifically C-III category aircraft such as the Boeing 737-700 series.
Planning and construction of the upgrades is estimated to cost $11 million. The county will use part of a $20 million state capital outlay appropriation to complete the required upgrades, meaning no additional cost to the county is planned to be incurred. Provance said upgrades will occur over the next three years.
Burrell Aviation could not be reached for comment.
Michael McDevitt is a city and county government reporter for the Sun News. He can be reached at 575-202-3205, [email protected] or @MikeMcDTweets on Twitter.
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