Budgeted at $25 million, the estimated cost has increased to nearly $36 million, so the airport is scaling back its plans.

The fancy new facade planned for the Fayetteville Regional Airport won’t be as fancy as initially planned because the estimated cost for an ongoing renovation has grown to nearly $10.86 million above its initial $25 million budget.

Airport Director Brad Whited brought the news to the City Council on Thursday.

So the airport has scaled back its plans in order to get the costs back to the $25 million, Whited said.

Whited’s announcement came during a workshop meeting of the City Council that got unusually heated.

Sharp comments were made during discussion of a proposal to put the city’s 911 emergency dispatch service in the building that house’s Cumberland County’s 911 center. And later, when staff members made presentations on the proposed 2019-2020 city budget, Councilman Jim Arp raised his voice in frustration. He said the presentations weren’t giving him information that he needs to make informed decisions on the city’s spending plan.

“I’m done for tonight,” Arp said, closing his copy of the roughly 300-page proposed budget as though he planned to leave. “I'm not wasting my time.”

But Arp calmed down and stayed to the end.

The renovation of the 50-year-old Fayetteville airport has been underway since late 2017.

The first phase, at approximately $20 million, is 90 percent complete, Whited said. Its’ due to be finished in late July or early August and includes a replacement of a concourse built when passengers entered jetliners by walking from the building to a stairway on the side of the plane. The new, two-story concourse includes modern jet bridges for passenger boarding.

A new restaurant is also coming, along with other amenities and improvements.

The second phase, to begin after the first phase is done, is to extensively remodel the interior and exterior. But it has gone over budget because of rising construction costs, Whited said. In 2016 it was estimated at $25 million, he said, but now an engineer estimates the project will cost $35.86 million.

To compensate, the airport is changing its plans, said Whited and architect Gordon Johnson.

For example, the front of the building was going to be extended 26 feet at the entrance with a new steel and glass facade. The revisions will cut that extension to 8 feet, Whited said. And that saves further money because the street in front of the airport no longer will need to be moved, he said.

Inside, the altered plans include less lobby space previously proposed, he said.

The renovation is being paid for with money from the Federal Aviation Administration and fees charged at the airport.

Staff writer Paul Woolverton can be reached at pwoolverton@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3512.