After the end of the temporary airport sales tax late last year, the official amount collected has now been calculated.

Executive Director, Steven Picou, said that $32.6-million was collected from the start of the sales tax in April until the end of the tax in November, “We were in the range. We were expecting anywhere between $33-million to $37-million depending on who you speak to, but those are good number,”

Voters had approved the one-cent sales tax in December of 2014 to build the new terminal.

The amount gained is only slightly less than what was projected so plans are still in progress.

“Due to the economic downturn in the region and due to oil field prices we think that’s what had the lower number than we anticipated,” Picou tells KLFY’s Jazmin Thibodeaux.

The commission will now use federal and state grants and bonds to reach the $90-million price tag for the terminal.

Picou says that a current design includes a full-service restaurant and gift shop, but that’s only the beginning, “There’s a diagram that’s was done by a previous organization and there are five gates that are shown with the ability to expand to seven,” He adds that the parking lot could even be doubled with the money.

An architecture firm is expected to be selected in June.

Frequent flyers, Keith and Aninha Barrett, are looking forward to the expansion, “I think it will be a definite help for the community. It will probably lure more people in here to want to be in an airport that’s got plenty of space and plenty of facilities,” said Keith Barett.

Picou says a completion date for the new terminal has not yet been set.