Kansas City Terminal Project Heads to Voters

Sept. 22, 2017

When I took the job at Airport Business magazine back in February 2016, the first story I pitched to Editor-in-Chief Joe Petrie was an update on the battle to build a new terminal at Kansas City International Airport. At the time, it turned into a no, due to other priorities.

But now the program is closer to being built, thanks to two events -- one, a November ballot initiative that will allow voters to decide whether a new terminal will be built. And two, the Kansas City Council’s airport terminal selection committee has chosen a group led by Bethesda, Md.–based Edgemoor Infrastructure and Real Estate to build the new $1 billion facility.

“Edgemoor offers the city the best project for the cost, a record of positive labor relations, a deep level of experience on similar projects, and a commitment to local partnership for this generational project,” said Mayor Sly James in a statement. “This recommendation represents a win for Kansas City. The city council should move quickly to confirm this recommendation – and the residents of this city will have the final say.”

The decision was somewhat of a surprise, since the airport’s airlines pushed for the selection of Kansas City-based Burns & McDonnell to build the new terminal, noting they would work with whoever the city council picked.

In a statement, Burns & McDonnell challenged the selection of Edgemoor and disputed the city council’s claim that its financial proposal was inconsistent with the City’s Master Bond Ordinance. “Our review of the city’s recently released selection criteria memo only raises more questions,” said Mike Brown, vice president, Burns & McDonnell in the statement. “[September 7] was the first time we had any indication that the city did not even consider our qualifications due to recommendations from the city’s outside legal and financial consultants. We are baffled by this erroneous technical argument.”

A History of Kansas City International Airport

The current facility was designed in the 1960s and opened in 1972 during a time before things like baggage screening, increased security and large crowds of travelers were normal. J.D. Power and Associates 2016 traveler satisfaction survey found that Kansas City International ranked 26th out of 33 medium-sized airports.

The airport’s past two master plans recommended building one new terminal, and the airline tenants agree, saying that renovation isn’t an option. The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce also supports the single terminal, calling it the best option for passenger safety and convenience.

Justin Meyer is the airport’s deputy director of aviation - marketing and air service development. “We brought the airlines into our negotiation and worked together for about two years figuring out what the solution was, be it renovation or a new terminal,” he said. “We came up with a solution for everyone, not just the airport or the airlines.”

But the terminal project was paused in May 2016, after Mayor Sly James expressed concern about pushing through a major airport project along with a $1 billion general ordinance bond for infrastructure projects.

After the ordinance bond was approved in April 2017, the airport restarted the conversation about a new terminal, said Meyer. “But this time, we were intentional about getting out into the community because one of the things we heard through that two-year negotiation was that the public felt like they were in the dark,” he said. “We understood and valued the need for public input and understanding on something that's comprehensive as a completely new airline terminal airport terminal.”

So the airport scheduled community listening sessions with neighborhood groups and other organizations in April, May, June and July. “We wanted to help everybody understand what the need is and why the terminal that was designed and constructed in the late 1960s doesn't meet the need of what aviation has become today,” he said.

A Request for Qualifications and Proposals was put out for a $1.2 billion terminal, and the airport received four responses and presentations were made Aug. 14. “We felt that we had a pretty good idea of what Kansas Citians want from a terminal and what they love about their airport, including short walking distances and easy drop-off and pick-up. But it’s also something we don't have now -- truly providing a little bit of the sense of place of what Kansas City is,” he said.

Comparing Kansas City to similar projects, Meyer said Indianapolis International Airport is the best example. “Indianapolis opened a 40-gate facility in 2008 to replace a 50-year-old facility that wasn't meeting the needs of what aviation had become. And that's pretty much where we are, a 45-year-old facility that doesn't meet the needs of what aviation has become,” he said.

Kansas City wants to spend about $1.2 billion to construct a 35-gate facility. “So looking at what Indianapolis has done, it’s a very good comparison for airport users to imagine what could be in Kansas City,” said Meyer.

The good news is construction of a new terminal would be on the spot where the shuttered Terminal A sits, so operations would not be affected, said Meyer. The timeline is to have the terminal opened between 2021 and 2022.

“We're setting up for the November election, where the citizens of Kansas City, Missouri, will have to vote on whether or not they want to allow the city to move forward with a demolition of old facilities and construction of a new facility to put our airport in a good spot for future generations,” said Meyer. “It is truly a generational decision. Kansas City citizens are starting to recognize that a lot of the opposition is really from passengers who aren’t flying anymore. We need the younger generation and those that have a vision for what Kansas City can become in the future to truly understand the benefit of a terminal that's constructed for the reality of aviation today and position the city to be successful for the future.”