The Durant City Council authorized a grant application Tuesday to the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission for financial assistance on the Durant Eaker Field terminal building.

The grant — in the amount of $275,000 — would help fund the construction of the approximately 8,000 square-foot building.

“We’ve been waiting quite awhile for this,” said John Cathey, who serves as chair of the Durant Industrial Authority and the Airport Terminal Planning Committee.

During Tuesday’s meeting, he said the grant money has been available for more than a year. However, Durant could not apply until funding was in place, a bid process was completed and a construction bid was awarded.

The OAC grant would require matching funds, and these funds have already been set aside, Cathey said.

The council officially approved a construction bid Tuesday from Mid-Plains Construction, Inc., in the amount of $1,384,820, which includes $11,820 to place seven high definition televisions inside the new terminal.

The bid had first been awarded during a special council meeting Oct. 28. However, the bid applications had said the city council would make that decision at the next regular meeting. The council rescinded its previous decision and officially awarded the bid during their regular meeting Tuesday.

The airport committee received six bids for the project, and the lowest bid was accepted. Cathey said most of the bids came in extremely lower than expected.

Now that all of the required steps have been taken on the airport terminal project, Cathey anticipates that the OAC will award the grant to Durant.

Tommy Kramer, executive director of the DIA, “deserves a great deal of credit for the city of Durant obtaining the grant from OAC. He has worked very closely with OAC for the last two years on the application,” Cathey said.

State Sen. Jay Paul Gumm and State Rep. John Carey were also instrumental in the process, he said.

Joseph Marquadt, community development director, has reviewed the final plans and specifications of the terminal building. He has sent them on to the fire marshall to review, Cathey said. A building permit for the structure could be obtained soon, after several more steps are taken.

Realistically, construction on the project could begin in the first quarter of 2010, he said.

The city council also authorized CMS Willowbrook to continue as the construction manager for the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation community center and library.

According to a memorandum, the city council approved the company to be construction manager of the project in March 2009 through the bidding.

Assistant City Manager Ralph Houser said bids for the construction of the library are due Nov. 19. Bids will be awarded several weeks later around the first of December.

Houser said many companies have already requested bid packets for the project and that it has drawn a lot of interest.

Construction on the project could potentially begin near the end of the year or the start of next year, Houser said. The library construction has an estimated completion date of December 2010.

Currently, the city has been relocating utilities in preparation for the construction, Houser said.

Library Director Dottie Davis said most of the furniture for the new library and community center has been selected, with the exception of table tops. The library committee is currently examining technology options, such as a security system, for the new center.

In other business, the council also approved the following:

— Authorization to bid for services and material for city hall interior remodel and American Disabilities Act upgrades

— Authorization to bid for electrical service upgrade at city hall

— Authorization for city manager to form and appoint members to the Durant Hazard Mitigation Plan Committee

— Authorization for the city manager to negotiate architecture agreements for the central public safety building and police headquarters