KANSAS CITY, Mo. — When Kansas City International Airport opened in 1972, the way we travel today was unimaginable. Soon after, security requirements changed and would continue to evolve greatly beyond the September 11 attacks.
As time kept going, so did the deterioration of the current terminals.
When I started at KSHB 41 in 2015, there was a deep divide over how to move forward to bring MCI into the travel ecosystem of today.
In 2016, the renovation path was explored. Some proposed spending $340 million to update and modernize the existing terminals. There was only one problem; the Transportation Security Administration sent a letter to the Kansas City Aviation Department stating the goal for security agents is to get people through security in 10 minutes, but that the crew at MCI was having a hard time doing that because of the airport's design.
The letter went on to state, “Facility designs from 1972 do not effectively serve security needs in the 21st century.”
City leaders began speaking out.
With the renovation idea deemed insufficient, the focus turned to building a new, single terminal. Everyone from the head of Kansas City Power and Light to the Chairman and CEO of the Kansas City Chiefs issued statements in support of a new terminal. People in Kansas City still weren't on board.
Once 2017 rolled around, then-Mayor Sly James announced Burns and McDonnell would build a new, single terminal and assume all the financial risk. Quickly, there was a firestorm of criticism against making a decision on a contractor without voter approval and an actual bid process. Shortly after, I reported on the announcement from Mayor James that with just 40% voter support the plan would be put on hold.
By this time, then-Councilman Quinton Lucas was an ardent critic of the process and assumption that the project was a done deal. He was a leading voice for transparency and accountability as the city council committee tasked with ultimately reviewing four bids, worked to award the project. Fall 2017, I reported on KSHB 41 that the city council approved Edgemoor to build a new, single terminal at KCI in a 10-2 vote.
Over the months that followed, I spent countless days talking to people in the metro who believed there was a significant need for a new terminal and those who thought it was just fine the way it was. Edgemoor and the Kansas City Aviation Department went to neighborhood, chamber of commerce, civic and social meetings to answer questions and gain feedback on the preliminary plans. I'm honest about how tense and at times, emotional, some of those meetings were. The voters approved the project in November 2017 and work began shortly after.
Edgemoor is delivering this new terminal on budget, ahead of schedule and exceeded its goals for local, minority and women-owned businesses participating on the project. It also launched a terminal workforce program that brought 185 people from Kansas City into the skilled trades, where more than 60% are still working and more than $5 million in wages have been earned.
The community benefit agreement so many came to the table and worked tirelessly to put together truly worked and is now a model for companies across the country. Throughout this project, Edgemoor has navigated a pandemic, delays, supply chain issues and increasing construction costs with grace and ease. The design also manages to capture so much of what makes Kansas City special; a fountain as you get through security, local restaurants, reclaimed terrazzo from the old terminals and one of the most significant investments in local art this community has ever seen.
Looking back, what I heard more than anything is that people in Kansas City have an affection for the airport that lasted and served as a home for countless memories in its more than 50 years. There is still a ton of pride in how quickly you can get parked, through security and to the gate for an upcoming flight. Today, on the cusp of opening a new terminal and front door for this community, I hear the same pride. Slowly but surely, people across the metro are embracing the growth and moment that this city is enjoying.
While I've reported on every step of the process in this new terminal going from an impassioned debate to an astounding reality, the Kansas City Royals have won a World Series, the Kansas City Current made it to the championship in its second season, the Kansas City Chiefs have won two Super Bowl titles, the 2023 NFL Draft is only weeks away and 2026 World Cup matches will be right here in the heart of Kansas City.
I had a private moment to walk into the new, single terminal at Kansas City International Airport and it took my breath away. It has been an honor to talk to everyone involved in making the biggest infrastructure project in Kansas City history, by all accounts, a rousing success. As you take your first trip into the new KCI, look around and soak up everything our friends and neighbors and leaders have worked so hard on for so many years. All the intense debate, discussion and dedication appears to have been worth it.
KC, this is only the beginning. Happy travels.
