(Margaret Schinkel, granddaughter of J. Roy Roberts, is shown with his great-great granddaughter Annika Nelson at the airport’s groundbreaking ceremony | Photo by Andrea Hine)
Among the enthusiastic participants at the recent groundbreaking for Redmond Airport’s $180 million terminal expansion was a petite woman who swung the ceremonial sledge hammer along with the brawniest of them.
The granddaughter of J. Roy Roberts, who is credited as a visionary chiefly responsible for the airport’s development, and who served as Redmond’s mayor for two nonconsecutive terms, Margaret Schinkel recalled using the original Roberts Field runways for her driver’s education training. She was accompanied by Roberts’s great-great granddaughter, Annika Nelson, who works as RDM’s head of security.
“This project is much needed,” said Airport Director Zachary Bass in his remarks, noting that passenger numbers for Central Oregon’s primary airport have grown from about 600,000 in 2016 to a projected 1.25 million in 2025. “This growth has led to crowded terminals, long lines, and limited seating, and our current facilities are simply not big enough to handle the number of travelers passing through each year.”
The expansion, now underway with expected completion in summer of 2027, will add 80,000 square feet of new space, including a brand-new concourse, seven new jet bridges, expanded waiting areas, new concessions and more than double the seating. “It has been a long time coming,” said Bass, referring to the years of planning involved.
Describing himself as “a huge supporter of the airport,” Mayor Ed Finch noted that when he came to Redmond in 1979, the terminal was only 1,700 square feet and felt crowded with only 30 people inside. “It’s nice to see the transition out of that era,” he said ironically.
