COUNTYWIDE : Terminal Cost May Surpass $61 Million

The cost of the new John Wayne Airport terminal will surpass $61 million if construction change orders requested by the prime contractor are approved by the County Airport Commission on Wednesday.

The additional work means that embattled airport contractor Taylor Wood

row Construction California Ltd. has a contract worth $61,309,287, about $19 million more than the county originally planned to spend in 1987.

Citing continuing delays, the county two weeks ago fired Taylor Woodrow from a separate $25-million contract to build a parking garage and elevated roadway and threatened to terminate the firm’s terminal contract unless it agreed to a list of conditions and weekly performance reviews. The firm agreed but also sued the county over the loss of the garage contract.

Assistant Airport Manager Jan Mittermeier said Monday that the value of Taylor Woodrow’s contract fluctuates constantly, depending on whether the county asks the firm to do additional work or receives a credit for tasks that have been reduced in scope or canceled.

Mittermeier said the county’s best estimate now is that Taylor Woodrow’s contract for building the terminal will not exceed $62 million.

The latest proposed change orders include a new sound insulation wall along the terminal’s baggage conveyor system, curtain walls between airline gate holding rooms, an additional fire wall and fire detection gear.

County officials will also ask the commission to support a request to add 12 workers to the airport’s 72-person staff to handle the onslaught of air travelers expected when the new facility opens on Sept. 16.