By Crystal Garcia
TERRE HAUTE — Plans to build another fixed-based operations facility at Terre Haute International Airport-Hulman Field have ceased as Erirowcin Aviation Inc. withdrew its proposal Thursday.
“Erirowcin Aviation Inc. is no longer interested in purchasing the Terre Haute Air Center or doing any other aeronautical service at the Terre Haute International Airport,” stated an e-mail to members of the Airport Authority Board from Eric and Cindi Hettlinger, founders of Erirowcin.
“The airport management has wasted our time and money, not to mention other companies in the effort to bring economic growth to the Terre Haute International Airport and to Terre Haute,” the e-mail stated.
The initial proposal for Erirowcin’s own facility came inJuly, a couple of months after the Authority Board put up the airport’s flight school and Air Center for sale. Bid packets for the flight school and Air Center were not available until September.
Eric Hettlinger said he and his wife offered to buy the Air Center in March, but it was then put to bid. Bids for the flight school and Air Center are due to the airport’s attorney by Oct. 20 with the board opening them Oct. 22.
Plans in the Erirowcin proposal called for a property lease for Erirowcin to build a multi-purpose structure valued between $750,000 and $1 million. The property is between Thompson Hangar and the Federal Express building with a 40,000-square-foot ramp space adjacent.
Fuel sales, an avionics shop, charter service and light cargo service, a regional aircraft dealership and service center, helicopter instruction and sightseeing tours and aircraft maintenance are services the facility were expected to provide.
Though the proposal wasn’t mentioned at any other board meetings, talks between the Hettlingers, board members and airport director Tom Long continued.
Long said he did not receive the Hettlingers’ e-mail withdrawing their proposal and could not comment on the issue.
Alternate property was offered to the Hettlingers because the initial property they chose was on the east side of the airport grounds, an area the board wants to use for commercial development while keeping all general aviation development on the west side, according to board president Darryl Huyett.
“We have a plan for our airport and we showed them some sites on the west side,” he said. “… We’re trying to separate big planes from the small planes, that’s why the west side. It’s not got anything to do with them or stymieing them.”
However, Hettlinger said the property they were shown was the back part of the Federal Express building, which doesn’t have any ramp access. With all general aviation to the west, Hettlinger said this would be an inconvenience because his fuel trucks would have had to go across the runway or people would have to taxi to the other side.
“We’re just tired of getting the runaround,” he said. “… The board doesn’t agree on anything. I’m tired of trying to figure it out.”
Darrel Zeck, Terre Haute’s public affairs director, was also notified about Erirowcin’s withdraw.
“As a city, we’re disappointed because we saw this as an opportunity for yet another private company to come in and add growth, value and some economic development to an otherwise stale airport environment,” he said, “and possibly create new jobs and add a fresh face to the airport.”
Huyett said he didn’t know why things fell through and attributed the past failed agreements to the Hettlingers changing their minds.
“They’ve changed their minds so many times, I’ve just lost track,” he said. “They’ve withdrawn before and submitted other ideas and things …”
With that, Huyett said a bid packet for the Air Center still was sent to them at the end of last week.
“I hope they change their minds and decided to bid on it, and I hope they build out there,” he said. “We’d love to have them. We’ve certainly been trying to do everything we can to help them out, but they change their mind and who knows what their real reason is, I don’t know.”
Crystal Garcia can be reached at (812) 231-4271 or crystal.garcia@tribstar.com.
