After more than a decade of design, development and construction work, the $121 million terminal modernization project at the Eastern Iowa Airport is “essentially complete,” airport officials say.
Airport operations manager Daniel Brown delivered the update during the Cedar Rapids Airport Commission’s December monthly meeting, as part of a commission vote to return $1.29 million of the retainer the airport had been holding with Rinderknecht Construction for phase 4 of the modernization project.
Mr. Brown said the fourth and final phase of the project was expected to be complete by the end of the month.
“We’re pretty close,” he told the commission. “The internal (part) of the facility should be done. You should see all the walls down (soon).”
Some “punch list” items, including finish work for the Cedar Ridge Barrel Room, remain to be completed, but that work “should be done by Jan. 15,” he said.
More substantial work remains on the exterior of the airport’s newest extension, which includes an extended concourse and new gates 5-12, 14 and 15 (gate 13 was deliberately omitted from the numbering system).
Airport director Marty Lenss said the original contractor for the paneling to cover the exterior of those areas “went out of business.”
“So that created some challenges,” he said. “We’ve had a variety of challenges on the exterior paneling … (that) shouldn’t impact the customer side of it.”
The paneling will likely be installed in the spring, Mr. Lenss said.
“If you’re flying and looking out the window, (you might say) ‘that doesn’t look right,’” Mr. Lenss said. “It’ll be done.”
A groundbreaking ceremony in March 2023 marked the beginning of the fourth, and most costly, final phase of the terminal modernization project. With a budget of $68 million, it included adding 30,000 square feet to the concourse; the new gates, served by four new jetways; a sensory room; the remodeled Cedar Ridge Barrel Room, Tap & Pour; and a large patio off the end of the concourse.
The first phase of the project, which began in June 2014, included exterior transportation improvements, a new terminal façade, a new curbside canopy and new sidewalks, at a cost of $6.2 million.
Phase 2 involved a complete transformation of the public space in the non-secure areas of the terminal, including rental car and airline ticket counters, baggage claim, and additional skylights to harness more natural light, at a cost of $13.3 million.
And Phase 3 involved transformation and expansion of the security checkpoint and the addition of 54,350 square feet, including additional restrooms, two additional jet bridges, additional hold room space and concessions, at a cost of $33.4 million.
A funding breakdown for the entire $121 million project is as follows:
- FAA: $39.1 million (32%)
- State of Iowa: $30.2 million (25%)
- Cedar Rapids Airport Commission, from airport operations: $51.6 million (43%)
The modernized terminal is expected to serve the needs of air travelers and airlines for the next 30 years, Mr. Lenss has said previously.
“The terminal has been a real fun project,” he said in a recent interview. “It’s also 10 years of construction. I can only speak for myself, but I think our team is exhausted.”
