While there are financial hurdles to be cleared, a model of the new KCI Airport terminal and parking garage was showcased on Thursday, Dec. 13 at city hall.
During the Airport Committee meeting, Geoff Stricker from Edgemoor Construction and Jordan Pierce from Skidmore, Owings & Merrill Architecture spoke to the committee members — which include Platte County council members Dan Fowler and Teresa Loar — about the project’s design.
An animation was provided to give the experience of driving into the new KCI Airport single terminal, which showcased a parking garage with the words Kansas City across the front and a terminal that will have two levels — one for arrivals and another for departures.
Stricker noted the project is still on time, at least for now, to have a groundbreaking next month and the demolition of the unused terminal ‘A’ wouldn’t be far behind that.
While some of the bells and whistles in the estimated $1.8 billion project were showcased, the biggest issue still out there is the cost of the project and who will pay for what.
“We have more work to do with the airlines, baggage claim and the FAA before we can really start moving sledge hammers to terminal A,” Mayor Sly James said in a chat with assembled media members following the meeting. “We need a compromise cost sharing for all carriers serving Kansas City. We can’t let this dispute stop us in our tracks. It is a mathematical issue. Some numbers may be moved one way or the other to a more satisfactory conclusion.”
Last month, the airlines were slated to attend an airport committee meeting, but didn’t show up. Instead Southwest issued a press releases stating it was still on board with the new terminal.
Delta, United, American Airlines, Southwest and Alaska Airlines are still on board with the project to replace the current facility, constructed in 1972.
Low-cost fare airlines like Spirit and Allegiant spoke out about the rising cost, which was below a billion when the voters passed a measure to construct a new airport in 2016. Additional gates, large waiting areas and the baggage claim system are the major reasons for the increase in price.
The cost has doubled and a major sticking point is what each airline will pay for a baggage claim system — that will cost $20 million — and how much.
The airlines agreed to get a second consultant to look at the project’s cost and will come back to the board next month. KSHB-TV reported that project, including financing, will cost $4.38 billion over 35 years. Last month, local business Burns & McDonnell told the television station they could get it done for $2.7 billion over 30 years.
During the November meeting, much discussion was made on the cost so far — $48.8 million — for Edgmoor. There was talk about moving money from different department funds to help cover that cost for the firm in charge of the design and construction.
“I think we’re going to lose credibility, I think we’re going to lose the trust of the public when we start moving monies around,” said Loar, the second-district at-large council member who represents Platte County, to KSHB-TV two weeks ago.
While the money issue still needs to be addressed, the renderings presented this past Thursday showcased a terminal that will allow natural light on both levels and a short walk from the parking garage to the terminal.
“It won’t feel like a dungeon at places,” James said of the new terminal compared to the current one. “I think it will be convenient and I think it will be beautiful. I think it will not only be more convenient, I think it will be much more comfortable, much more open, much more open, much more inviting and much more accessible than our current airport.”
Pierce noted there will be only 120 feet from the parking garage to the security checkpoint at the departure level of the new KCI — a convenience factor the architects strived to maintain.
The parking garage will showcase local team colors of the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals, while stone will adorn the fourth wall of the garage, which will be constructed by J.E. Dunn Construction.
A new ‘high throughput’ security checkpoints devices will allow four people to go through the line at the same time, compared to one now.
Stricker noted the two-level terminal, which many other cities have, will be safer and will have only half the traffic of the current terminal.
The city and aviation department are still awaiting the final passage of the environmental study of the land. The combination of that and the financial issues need to be finalized before actual work on the project — which is slated to open in 2021 — will be completed.
“There is a lot of details to be done, in terms of the electrical systems, but that’s not the sexy part,” Stricker said. “What it looks like when you show up, how will you walk through the terminal, how will you navigate the restrooms, restaurant and retails, that is the important part.”
The proposed two-level KCI Airport single terminal design was unveiled during the Airport Committee meeting on Thursday, Dec. 13 at Kansas City City Hall. The structure allows plenty of natural light, while the parking garage (far left on each photo) will have only a 120 feet walk from the exit to the entrance of the terminal.