Say your final goodbye to the first horseshoe-shaped terminal at Kansas City International Airport. More than a year after Kansas City voters overwhelmingly approved construction of a single terminal at KCI, a groundbreaking has finally been scheduled.
A “groundbreaking celebration” for the $1.5 billion project is set for March 25, at 2 p.m. at Terminal A.
“We look forward to seeing all of you and a whole lot of other people at the groundbreaking,” Aviation Director Pat Klein told Kansas City’s airport committee on Thursday.
If you ask Kansas City Mayor Sly James, it’s taken more than 6 years to get to this point. Back in 2013, James put together an advisory group to determine the airport’s future. In 2016, conversations for a new, single terminal were put on hold after polling showed little appetite among voters. Just a year later, Kansas Citians voters approved it by a landslide.
Last week, the final detail fell into place when the city council approved a project agreement with developer Edgemoor.
The Kansas City Council now has one more vote to take before the project can move forward with financing.
The airport committee passed a suite of ordinances on Thursday to cover both short- and long- term costs.
While the measures passed unanimously, Councilwoman Teresa Loar, an outspoken skeptic of the new terminal, says she thinks the city’s model for financing it — by issuing debt rather than using public airport revenue bonds — will come back to bite the city.
“We’re just doing it convoluted and very complicated, so in the end, I’m sure it will cost us a lot more money,” she said.
The full council will vote on the financing ordinances in two weeks.
Lisa Rodriguez is a reporter and the afternoon newscaster for KCUR 89.3. Follow her on Twitter @larodrig.
