By 1808Delaware
The City of Delaware, in collaboration with Delaware County, has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) in search of experienced airport management consultants to conduct a feasibility study on the formation of a Regional Airport Authority. The study aims to address concerns and questions related to the formation of the authority and to provide recommendations for the future governance structure of the Delaware Municipal Airport.
The Delaware Municipal Airport, a leading general aviation facility in central Ohio, houses approximately 100 based aircraft and manages an estimated 40,000 operations per year. The facility serves as a strategic location for the region, including commercial centers such as Delaware, Dublin, Westerville, Worthington, and Powell. Recent airport enhancements include an expanded runway, an Automated Weather Observing System, and a Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) for precision navigation.
The RFP follows the City’s completion of an Airport Strategic Business Plan in January 2020 and a White Paper published in April 2022, which discussed the potential benefits of forming a regional airport authority. With this RFP, the City and County hope to receive proposals from consultants who can provide a comprehensive analysis and report of the potential formation of an Airport Authority, including financial assessments, legal obligations, and governance structure recommendations.
Consultants are required to submit their proposals by April 28 after which up to three firms will be selected for interviews during the week of May 8. Evaluation criteria for selecting the best-qualified firm include experience, quality of proposal, and the ability to meet the proposed schedule.
The chosen consultant will be expected to deliver a final report within four months of receiving a Notice to Proceed. The report should summarize the findings and recommendations regarding the formation of the Airport Authority, covering aspects such as financial conditions, governance structures, and interaction with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
For further information and inquiries, interested consultants may contact R Thomas Homan, City Manager of the City of Delaware, at rthoman@delawareohio.net or (740) 203-1011, and Tracie Davies, Delaware County Administrator, at tdavies@co.delaware.oh.us or (740) 833-2104. You can also read the Airport Strategic Business Plan here.
