Build KCI, the $1.5 billion, single terminal Kansas City International Airport project, has kept “chugging along” without slowing down or speeding up throughout the pandemic and is on track to be completed on time and on budget. That was the message from Justin Meyer, deputy director of Aviation – Marketing and Air Service Development for the Kansas City Aviation Department, in a KC Downtowners webinar this week.
“KCI is not just about a physical property — it reflects the community,” said Stan Meyers, president of KC Downtowners.
JE Dunn Construction sponsored the webinar and is building the new KCI 6,000-space garage, which will be accessible on two levels.
“JE Dunn has been at the site for almost the entire project,” said Jeff Blaesing, vice president and director of the company’s Kansas City office. “It’s a key strategic initiative to promote to key people.”
Meyer reported that the design is completely finished, procurement is almost complete, most of the glass elements have been installed, precast panels are in, the air conditioning is currently being installed, and limestone panels — from a quarry in Phoenix, Mo. — are being installed behind the ticket desks. Terrazzo floors and wood ceilings will be included.
“The scale of the building is spectacular,” Meyer said.
When it opens in March 2023, the new 39-gate facility will entirely replace terminals B and C — built 49 years ago and now largely having outlasted their useful life — at KCI, which was included in the original budget. That space will be used to centralize de-icing, which will reduce the environmental impact of that process. Terminal A was vacant and has been demolished. The new design is an H-shaped layout, which Meyer said is common now in airport construction.
The terminal B garage will be dedicated to employee parking, which will eliminate the current bus service and save time and hassle for employees.
Drivers will be glad to know that their access will be better thanks to a redesigned roadway system.
“The roadway will be an enhancement of what we have now,” he said. “Currently, this is the largest airport that doesn’t separate commercial traffic from public, so the new system will be a definite improvement.”
The apron is ready for paving, and the tarmac will use intentional distance in spacing to avoid taxi jams for arriving and departing planes. Other features will include above-ground moving walkways and glass passenger bridges, which Meyer said aren’t common in the U.S.
“They will create a visual connection with air travel,” Meyer said.
On that visual level, public art is an exciting part of the new KCI, supported by 1 percent of the project budget.
“Art is going to be everywhere,” Meyer said. “We had more than 500 responses to a call for a virtual presentation of art.”
Dramatic works in glass, metal, textiles and more have been accepted for eight locations and responses from another 188 area artists are being reviewed for another 19 spots.
The project also will pay homage to the airport’s past, with Terminal A medallions repurposed throughout the new facility.
The selection process will reflect some of Kansas City’s favorite things so visitors can immediately understand they’re in Kansas City even before they get downtown,” Meyer said.
Airport business is starting to recover from the pandemic, when there were as few as 400 passengers on a given day.
“Daily traffic is back to 14,000 passengers a day and 87 percent of (flight) seats are filled,” Meyer said.
JetBlue will be a new airline partner, with nonstop service to New York’s JFK International Airport. Plans are underway for several airline lounges. Market demand will determine negotiations for direct flights to Europe; those decisions are made by the airlines, Meyer explained. Ticket prices are also a matter for the airlines to determine.
“There is no direct connection between ticket prices and what airlines pay to be at an airport,” he said.
While the original design and technology elements remained unchanged throughout the past year, some technology decisions are still being made. Many processes will be touchless, according to Meyer. Some restrooms will be multi-user and all-gender. There will quieter spaces for people with sensory sensitivities to wait to depart, an all-inclusive playroom, and a simulation space for people unfamiliar with or nervous about the boarding process.
“These are all part of a design that we couldn’t provide for the past 50 years and amenities that should make KCI a choice for passengers,” said Meyer.
To see the current status and track continuing progress, go to BuildKCI.com.
The webinar also included a description of Restart, a nonprofit in downtown KC that empowers people to overcome homelessness (restartinc.org), from Daisha Kimbrough.