The potential of a new KCI terminal has brought firms showing interest in building it to Kansas City.
Two firms, Burns & McDonnell andAECOM, held events on Tuesday to share their vision for the future of the airport.
Burns & McDonnell held its KCI jobs rally at Mark One Electric.
HAPPENING NOW: @BurnsMcDonnell holds #NewKCI Construction Team Rally for Jobs pic.twitter.com/JslzVqhNS0
— Rae Daniel (@RAEtheReporter) July 18, 2017
“Any time you're going to make a public investment in a city, you want to make it such that the local companies and the local workers of the city benefit from it, so that's what we're talking about here,” Burns & McDonnell Senior Vice President Ron Coker said.
The firm announced they plan to break ground on November 8 this year and have added 20 new local partners to their team.
“You see all these trucks here, you see them? These are all team members that are going to be apart of the new terminal and they're all local,” Burns & McDonnell partner, Mark One Electric President Rosana Biondo said.
Adding all local partners to its team, Coker says this is what sets them apart.
“No team is going to have more local participation than the Burns & McDonnell team and that's what's important in this project,” Coker said.
“We can build an international airport with local companies and I think that's huge,” Biondo said.
Just a few blocks away on Metropolitan Community College Penn Valley’s campus, AECOM shared its vision on local collaboration in building this terminal.
“We decided to have an industry day so we can get together with the local community and talk about all the benefits and opportunities to bring local community into this huge project,” AECOM Senior VP, Mike Handelman said. “There's so much potential in terms of having a project that goes beyond a one billion dollar project: culturally, the diversity, so we're really excited about that.”
With posters and slides, the Los Angeles based firm expressed why they’re the best ones for the job.
“AECOM's business is airports,” Handelman said. “We are the largest engineering and architecture firm in the world.”
“They know how to build aviation. They know how to build airports, AECOM’s partner, Turner Construction Vice President Mark Iammarino said. “And our theme all along is think globally, but build locally. And that's why we're the local boots on the ground.”
As of right now, the firm didn’t state a specific date on when they’ll begin construction if selected.
“We have to look at the construction schedule with my partner here , but what's more important is when we're going to open, and we'll reveal at the time of the interview,” Handelman said.
Firms have until August 10 to finalize their proposals for a new terminal.
The Kansas City Council will hold interviews with the firms on August 24.
A public vote on a new terminal is expected to happen this November.
