New contractor to finish replacing Colorado Springs Airport roof after blaze

A new contractor will finish replacing Colorado Springs Airport's roof after the terminal was heavily damaged by a fire last month while another company was repairing wind and hail damage, said Director of Aviation Greg Phillips.

It's unclear if the original roofer, Weathercraft, started the April 16 fire, which caused $5 million in damage when it tore through the airport's roof, ceiling and offices, Phillips said. Propane tanks being used in the roof repairs fueled the flames, Phillips said previously.

The late-night fire brought flights to a standstill and forced The Bristol Taproom and Novo Coffee to close for repairs. The airport reopened before dawn April 18.

The Colorado Springs Fire Department hasn't released the cause of the blaze, a spokesman said Thursday.

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"Until that report is out, it would be improper and unfair to make conjecture," Phillips said.

Weathercraft declined to comment.

The contractor began work in December 2017 to repair damage to the roof caused by hail and wind storms in recent years, Phillips said. The nearly $1.1 million project is about 90 percent complete and 81 percent paid for. It was to be completed May 1.

"We just need to have them (Weathercraft) at arms' length right now, but we need to repair the roof, too," Phillips said.

A new contractor has not been selected, but Phillips said he hopes the roof will be fixed "within the next couple of months."

Fire repairs are expected to be completed by Thanksgiving, he said. About 2 percent of the budget - or $100,000 - has been spent, a May project status report says.

Bryan Construction was awarded a design/build contract on the project, which includes demolishing fire-damaged areas and rebuilding the third-floor administrative offices, Bristol and Novo restaurants and the back offices for United and SkyWest, the report says. Gene Grosz with RS&H has been hired as construction manager.

A request for proposals will be sent out in June for a general contractor for the reconstruction of the first and second floors, the report says. Construction of the second-floor public areas is scheduled to begin in July.

The insurance company already has given the airport a $2 million check for the repairs, Phillips said.

"No matter who - if anybody - is at fault, it's still an insurance claim," he said.

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Contact Ellie Mulder: 636-0198

Twitter: @lemarie

Credit: Ellie Mulder