On February 28, the first flights will take off from the New Single Terminal at the Kansas City International Airport. An Opening Ceremony will be held the day before followed by an overnight switchover occurring between the old and new terminals.
This project set multiple records, including becoming the second LEED Gold and the largest LEED Gold airport in the U.S. After working on this project for four years, the Weitz team is proud celebrate this historic upgrade to the airport and greater community.
Leading up to the Opening Ceremony and official first operating day of the New Single Terminal, there have been several opportunities for the Kansas City community to be involved in the finalization and celebration of the project.
On February 14, the terminal was open to a select group of local volunteers to test out the New Single Terminal as if they were about to board a flight. The exercise asked volunteers to participate in the check in process, locating unique amenities and concessions, simulating the boarding process, collecting luggage, and testing the facility’s wayfinding signage. On February 18, the airport hosted a Community Open House, inviting members of the Kansas City community to the New Single Terminal to view and enjoy the state-of-the-art facility.
“The world-class New Single Terminal will be a pillar to this community for decades to come, and a destination for passengers as they travel to see all the Midwest has to offer,” said Ben Bunge, Director of Aviation at the Weitz Company. “Working on this project and with our partners has been a highlight of my career. I could not be prouder of how our team committed themselves to the success and timely delivery of this project to our partners and the greater Kansas City community.”
The completion of the Kansas City International Airport’s New Single Terminal hits many milestones for both the City of Kansas City, Missouri, and The Weitz Company. For Kansas City, the airport is the single largest infrastructure project in the city’s history, replacing Kansas City International’s three-terminal concept, originally built in 1972.
For Weitz, it’s one of the largest construction projects in the company’s 167-year history. Coming in at 1.1 million square feet, the New Single Terminal has 40 gates with ability to expand to 50 in the future and includes moving walkways, a consolidated security check point, the first wireless electric bus charging stations, a covered parking garage with over 6,300 spaces, and glass passenger boarding bridges at all gates, making the Kansas City International Airport the largest all-glass facility in the U.S.
The New Single Terminal will also celebrate the Kansas City community, with 80% of the concession and retail brands represented in the terminal being local to the region. The terminal will also highlight legendary KC barbeque. The Made for KC BBQ Championship, a Kansas City Barbeque Society-sanctioned Competitor’s series competition, is designed to award an area competition barbeque team the opportunity to serve as pitmaster in the Made for KC Barbeque Experience located in Concourse B for one year; additionally, Meat Mitch BBQ will be in Concourse A.
While the New Single Terminal is celebrating the completion of this historic project, this will also be an occasion to recognize the many partners and workers who made the project possible. The Build KCI project generated more than 6,000 construction-related jobs with more than 240 Kansas City-area firms also contributing on the project. Additionally, more than 130 minority- and women-owned business partners were a part of the project.
Developed over the last four decades, Weitz’s airport portfolio includes a range of landside and airside projects at municipal, international, and military airfields. The Weitz Company offers in-depth expertise in terminals, taxiways, runways, parking apron hangars, gate concourses, baggage handling systems, automated people movers, and more.
