Mayor Sly James and City Council members decided on Tuesday to push back the deadline for proposals to build a possible new terminal at Kansas City International Airport.
The two-hour meeting was held behind closed doors inside City Hall.
Firms interested in being a part of new terminal talks will now have an additional 45 days from Tuesday to submit their qualifications and experience for the project.
Those same firms will have an additional 15 days after that deadline to submit a complete funding package for their proposal.
The decision on Tuesday was made after multiple firms came forward to City Council and said they did not have enough time to gather information and resources to meet the original June 20th deadline.
Burns & McDonnell kicked off the new round of KCI new terminal talks after submitting an unsolicited bid featuring private financing in early May.
Los Angeles-based engineering firm AECOM and Kansas City-based HNTB Corporation soon followed and expressed interest in being part of the project.
On Tuesday, 41 Action News learned from a City Council member that Garver, an Overland Park-based engineering firm, and Oak Tree Capital Management, an international investment group, had also expressed an interest in being part of the new terminal project.
With the extension of the deadline for new terminal proposals, City Councilwoman Jolie Justus said more companies could come forward.
"This is wide open to anybody who can meet the qualifications,” Justus said. “You get 45 days to tell us why you are qualified for this project, and you get an additional 15 days on top of that to talk about your specific proposal for financing."
Moving forward, Justus said the extension of the deadline would lead to a smoother process with KCI’s future.
“We are very confident in the product we're putting out today,” she explained. “We are confident in the process going forward. It is transparent and clear what we're asking for. Now the market is going to come forward and see what opportunities are available."
How to pay for a possible new terminal still needs to be decided on by City Council.
All firms putting forward a proposal will be required to submit a plan featuring private financing.
However, City Councilwoman Katheryn Shields told 41 Action News that all private financing options will be compared to the same plan using public money or airport revenue bonds.
Despite recent developments in the talks over KCI, City Council said the city still planned to hold a public vote in November to determine whether or not a new terminal should be built.
