Dan Vicari, who has supervised much of the Gary/Chicago International Airport’s $174.1 million runway expansion, will juggle those duties alongside his new mantle of interim airport executive director.
Vicari succeeds B.R. Lane in the position, which has been vacant since late March when Lane left her positions with the airport and as Gary’s Deputy Mayor to become the Superintendent of the Illinois Lottery. Vicari was approved for the post at Monday’s Gary Airport Authority Board meeting
“I want to thank the board for placing its trust in me to be interim director here at the airport,” Vicari said. “I look forward to coming here every day for work. These are exciting times at the airport.”
Board member Denise Dillard credited Vicari’s work with various contractors performing work on the runway extension project.
“You’re doing an excellent job,” Dillard said.
The runway extension project is still on schedule to by completed by June 25, and as work winds down, Vicari spent much of the meeting presenting various contract modifications to the board for approval.
“The most important part will be the 24-7 operation by Reith Riley to fill the 280 feet of gap remaining,” Vicari said. “The taxiways are not as caught up, but they will be with 24-7 operation.”
The biggest remaining environmental challenge is placing a clay cap over some hazardous materials at the former Conservation Chemical Co. property. Vicari said they have received the green light from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to start stockpiling clay for the cap. The cap will cost $356,000 and the installation will start as soon as the airport receives IDEM’s final approval, which should be any day now, Vicari said.
AECOM project manager John Lukas said the project should take about two to three weeks, or possibly longer, depending on weather issues.
Airport manager Delbert Brown told the baord that revenues have increased 3 percent overall this year and traffic increased by 43 percent in April. Brown said airport representatives have scheduled several meetings with airlines at an upcoming conference in Seattle.
“We’re not naming names yet,” Brown said. “It’s almost like speed-dating with airlines. Our goal is to get a second meeting at the airlines’ corporate offices.”
Christin Nance Lazerus can be reached at [email protected].