Airline and aviation leaders showed City Council members on Tuesday a long list of conveniences that they said could only be accommodated at KCI Airport if a new terminal is built.
The aviation leaders made the presentation during a meeting with the City Council Airport Committee. According to the leaders, travelers want more and more from their airport experiences, and KCI must make changes to keep up with demand.
Kansas City Aviation Department Deputy Director of Aviation Justin Meyer detailed possible additions that could be made to the airport. Meyer said a new terminal could accommodate a long list of conveniences, including:
- More bathrooms and seating after security checkpoints
- Priority lanes & TSA Precheck for all airline passengers
- Restaurants
- Information desks
- Children’s play areas
- Airline club & business lounges
See the full list of conveniences below:
He added that KCI’s current design is holding planners back from adding these things.
“If we wanted to provide an amenity to a customer at KCI, we'd have to do it seven times because each individual gate area doesn't have access to the other gate areas,” he explained.
Aviation leaders also detailed how technology upgrades are spreading around the world at airports. They said a new terminal would help implement some of the changes, including smart technology at security checkpoints.
“There's a lot of things in a 72-foot terminal that's in the shape of a horseshoe that don't allow us to accommodate some things that are expected," Meyer said.
Many travelers, however, love the current design of the airport. Fans of the design often point to the short distance between the curb and their gate as a reason the current format should stay.
“I don't know how it could be more convenient than what it is now,” explained Shirley Wheeler, who was traveling to Orlando on Tuesday. “You drive up, get out of your car, and come in."
The debate over whether to renovate KCI or build a new terminal has gone on for years. In December of last year, aviation leaders revealed numbers showing it would be cheaper to build a new terminal than it would be to renovate the current terminals. According to the plans, building a new terminal at KCI would cost around $964 million, while renovating the facilities would cost between $1.06 billion and $1.19 billion. A month later, Kansas City-based Crawford Architects revealed renovation plans far cheaper than the ones presented to City Council. According to the company, renovating KCI and keeping the current design in place would cost around $672 million.
Crawford Architects was asked to look into renovation plans after City Council member Teresa Loar reached out to the group wanting to look deeper into future plans for KCI. Aviation leaders have spoken out against Crawford’s plans, saying they do not address the requirements needed for a new airport. Crawford Architects has reached out to City Council to make a formal presentation; however, the group has been unable to do so.
On Wednesday, Crawford Architects will present its renovation plans to the public during an event organized by the Citizens for Responsible Government group at the Plaza branch of the Kansas City Public Library.
The City Manager’s Office will make a formal recommendation on April 26 to City Council on a plan to either renovate or rebuild KCI. City Council will then vote on whether to approve the plan. The future of KCI will ultimately be voted on by the public. A vote on the issue could come later this year.
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Tom Dempsey can be reached at Tom.Dempsey@KSHB.com.
