Monday, November 15, 2004 KCI project's course to completion had its twists and turns By MIKE RICE The Kansas City (MO) Star On a recent evening at Kansas City International Airport, partygoers danced to a jazz band on the new blue terrazzo floor inside one of the terminals. Guests sipped wine and downed hors d'oeuvres to celebrate the completion of the $258 million terminal renovation project. The mood at the VIP party was festive, but getting to that evening was a turbulent ride. Several challenges, some of which could never have been foreseen when crews began gutting the terminals in spring 2001, threatened the project. The Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The slumping economy. The demise of the airport's second-busiest carrier. Added to that mix were some unexpected asbestos removal, public squabbling between airport officials and elected leaders, and a $75 million bump in the original cost estimate. The day when every inch of the three terminals would have the brighter floors, walls, signs and new concession areas seemed far away. Wednesday will be that day. The final renovated portion of the airport - a segment in Terminal B - will open to the traveling public. That space will be occupied by Southwest Airlines, the busiest carrier at KCI. The renovations in Terminal A and C were finished earlier this year. "Major capital projects have their moments of uncertainty," Mayor Kay Barnes said. "But it would not have served us well in the long run to have stopped work." Many travelers already have experienced the renovated terminals. The first phase was completed in summer 2002, and others have since been finished. But the completion means no more dodging orange barrels outside terminals; no more airlines switching terminals and a general sense of relief that one of city's biggest capital-improvement projects is now history. The project, which was the first makeover for the 32-year-old airport, also included new electronic advertising and flight information; expanded passenger holding areas; new rest rooms, heating and cooling systems and baggage-handling systems; and more windows that lend a brighter look. Last week, City Manager Wayne Cauthen announced that rest rooms would be installed in passenger holding areas - an amenity that should address a common complaint from travelers since Sept. 11, 2001. The terrorist attacks, which occurred a few months after renovations began, halted work for almost a week and forced major design changes to meet federal security demands. The redesign included 12-foot-high security walls between the concourses and passenger-holding areas, as well as bulletproof and blast-proof glass. The redesign also included larger areas for passenger and baggage screening, said Bill Mitchell, principal architect for HNTB, the project's lead designer. The terrorist attacks forced the postponement or cancellation of capital projects at more than 30 commercial airports nationwide, according to the Washington-based Airports Council International-North America. At KCI, no new furnishings or equipment had been installed in the terminals before the attacks. Airport officials said they shudder to think what would have happened had the attacks occurred after that work had started. "The project would not yet be completed," said Tom McKenna, marketing director of the city Aviation Department. When Vanguard Airlines, which was to have occupied half of Terminal A, shut down in summer 2002, passenger numbers were plummeting from the attacks. Other airlines serving Kansas City struggled financially. KCI officials considered halting work indefinitely in one of the terminals, but Phil Muncy, the Aviation Department's planning and engineering director, said renovations already had been completed in parts of all three terminals. "We knew the aviation industry would rebound, so we decided to go on," Muncy said. Although a large part of Terminal C is unoccupied, it can accommodate new carriers or airline expansions, he said. The project's cost rose from an original estimate of $183 million because of security upgrades, asbestos removal and requests by some airlines to expand holding areas. The $258 million price has not increased since 2002, but it is higher than what it cost to build the airport more than 30 years ago. "Looking back at the obstacles we had to overcome, I am just amazed we were able to keep the project moving," said Teresa Loar, a former Kansas City councilwoman who was chairwoman of the council's Aviation Committee during much of the construction. "We had an excellent team with Burns & McDonnell and Walton Construction, and they made it work." Burns & McDonnell was the project manager and Walton Construction the general contractor. During construction, Loar sparred with then-Aviation Director Russ Widmar over several issues, including contracts with a firm that provided executive oversight to the project. But Kansas City Councilman and current Aviation Committee Chairman Bill Skaggs said Widmar, whom Cauthen fired a year ago, deserves much of the credit for the project. "He kept the contractors on their toes," Skaggs said of Widmar. ".I don't think there is anyone else who can take more credit for getting this job done on time." First glance . The last renovated terminal segment at Kansas City International Airport, occupied by Southwest Airlines, will open Wednesday. . The opening completes the $258 million terminal renovation project, which began in spring 2001. . A look back at the project's highlights in words and pictures, plus a look ahead. A-1 Attached Photo's: The $258 million renovation of Kansas City International Airport's terminals ends this week with the completion of the final phase. Mia Risher, of Houston, and her children traversed the new terrazzo floors last week. To prepare for the opening of the last renovated section of KCI, Francisco Marques dusted signs last week in Terminal B. The section, occupied by KCI's busiest carrier, Southwest Airlines, will open Wednesday.
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