A billion more dollars for delayed and over-budget RSW terminal expansion project

Southwest Florida International Airport‘s terminal expansion project, which is meant to make the first impressions of our community, is not only delayed but is over budget.

The port authority board just approved a billion more dollars for Terminal E, so this project will receive more attention.

That includes the commissioners who asked going forward to get regular progress reports to help keep this project on time and on budget.

Gathered around the table at Lee Port Authority’s board meeting Thursday, Commissioner Cecil Pendergrass asked Steven Hennigan, the executive director of the Lee Port Authority, the big question point-blank.

“Are you able to ensure this project stays on time and on budget over the next three to five years?” Pendergrass said.

Hennigan said he hopes so.

Hennigan told commissioners that he’s doing things differently to achieve that, including extending the staff to have more technical experts on hand when needed and improving communication with construction partners.

It’s the biggest project the airport has ever taken on. The project costs $1,067,549,376.

It’s big money for a big project Commissioner Hamman requested his board have more eyes on.

“The commissioners are a policy-making board, so we focus on the strategy and the big picture, but I think important to that is getting regular progress reports on big projects like this so we can stay on top of anything going on with the day-to-day operation that might need attention,” Hamman said.

With the ongoing RSW expansion project over budget and way behind schedule, Pendergrass said he wants to know that day if something is behind or didn’t get done six months later.

Hamman told us the port authority is considering hiring someone with auditing capabilities to examine that money more closely.