The Kansas City city council heard a report on possible money-saving changes to plans for a new terminal at KCI airport Thursday.
Aviation Director Mark Van Loh was talking major savings – up to 1/3 of the estimated cost of replacing the three existing terminals with a single more modern one.
Van Loh told the transportation and infrastructure committe that by moving the terminal from the planend greenfields site to the site of the present Terminal A", costs could be reduced by about $5 million.
Unlike the proposed site south of the current three-terminal complex, the Terminal A replacement option would involve o new road or runway costs, less expense for upgrading utilities, ability to use existing deicing equipment and other advantages. And the possible change would also have the new terminal operational two to three years earlier.
Van Loh said other alternatives were also being considered again, including building the new single terminal at the site of Terminal C.
If the Aviation Department should opt for a less costly site, the savings won't impact the city budget. The airport terminal would be paid for by fees and taxes paid by the airlines and their passengers. No city tax money is involved.