Aircraft Assembly Facility

Independence, KS

This aircraft assembly facility, a fast-tracked, partnered effort, was designed and constructed in just 12 months and opened in July 1996. Located on a 213-acre site at the Independence, KS airport, this 400,000 SF facility was constructed to restart manufacture and assembly of single-engine aircraft. Extensive sitework on the WWII brownfield site included parking and drainage improvements, as well as wetlands mitigation. Later renovations were made to also accommodate the assembly of lightweight business jet aircraft.

By 2006, PEC had assisted in the design of a 9,000 SF flight/delivery building and an 11,000 SF aircraft completions building. Additionally, the owner expanded the customer delivery center by 11,000 Sf. The entire complex now contains over 550,000 SF. Facilities in the complex include the following:

Assembly facility
• Paint building with 5 paint bays
• Sand and fill building with 2 bays
• Flight building

• Delivery center
• Hazardous materials complex
• Storage building
• Control tower

• Credit union
• Elevated 400,000-gallon water storage tower
• Fire pump building

PEC provided full-service engineering for the initial project, as well as the expansions. Those services included mechanical, electrical, structural, and civil engineering. PEC also designed fire protection/detection systems, a water tower for the site, provided wetlands mitigation, on-site, full-time resident engineer inspection services, as well as testing and balancing services for all HVAC systems.

SF: 550,000

Completion Date:1996

Construction Cost: $20,400,000.00