KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Following KCMO City Council’s approval of a development agreement on Thursday for a new terminal at Kansas City International Airport, a former mayor said the decision served as a historic moment for the city.
Charles Wheeler served as mayor from 1971 to 1979 and was in office when KCI first opened its doors in 1972.
“Mayor Bartle and Mayor Davis deserve a lot of credit and I had the happy experience of opening their work,” he said. “The airport showed them that we were a modern up-to-date city.”
GALLERY | A look at KCI in its early days
During its opening, KCI was touted for its convenience and then-innovative design.
Among other features, KCI offers a short walk from the curb to airline gates.
However, Wheeler said change was needed in the city decades later.
“The city is growing nicely now,” the former mayor said. “I think Kansas City is going to be a going town and (the new terminal) is a vital part of it.”
Hours after City Council’s decision, a former KCI technical specialist said he would miss the current airport.
Ron Hicks helped install lighting and power fixtures inside the terminals back in the 1960s and 1970s.
With a new terminal officially on the way, he said it would be tough saying goodbye to the facility.
“It’s still the most convenient place to come in,” Hicks said. “It was going to be a great airport and it has been a great airport.”
The current KCI airport opened it’s doors 45 years after the dedication of the downtown airport.
In 2017, 45 years after the current KCI opened, voters approved plans for a new terminal.
Organizers expect the new terminal to open in 2023.
