The latest portion of the modernization project at the Eastern Iowa Airport is now complete, with four new gates opened for passengers March 3.
And now the final portion of the airport’s four-phase project is getting under way, with the renovation of the concourse area encompassing gates 5 through 9.
Eastern Iowa Airport (CID) director Marty Lenss said the new, 30,000-square-foot addition at the end of the airport’s main terminal includes new modern restrooms as well as the four new gates – 10, 11, 12 and 14.
The new gates are being used primarily by Delta Air Lines and United Airlines.
The newly-opened section also includes the airport’s second oculus, a round seating area with a glassed dome ceiling.
“You can sit there and see all four gates,” Mr. Lenss said. “It’s a very open floor plan, lots of natural day lighting, lots of seating options, lots of greenery, and plenty of power options for folks that need to charge their various devices. On sunny days, we really won’t need artificial light for the terminal. It will be quite bright.”
A large patio, located between gates 12 and 14, will open in May, Mr. Lenss said, and will be popular for airport users who like to watch planes take off and land. The airport has a stadium liquor license that will allow alcoholic beverage sales for the patio area.
“That will be a popular spot for people to sit outside,” he said. “You’ll have a fantastic view of the runways and you can take your beverage or food out there while you wait for your flight.”
A Service Animal Relief Area (SARA) will also be provided as part of the new patio area, Mr. Lenss said.
“Folks traveling with pets that need to bring their pet outdoors, for it to relieve itself, we’ll have that outside in a corner of the patio, so we’ll be able to accommodate those needs,” Mr. Lenss said.
A temporary SARA is in place near Gate 1 until the new SARA is available.
As part of the final portion of Phase 4 modernization, contractors are building a temporary corridor tunnel connecting Gates 1 through 4 – which were renovated, along with the Java House coffee shop and the High Porch restaurant, during modernization Phase 3 – and the four newly-added gates.
The final phase includes renovation of Gates 5-9, as well as remodeling and adding seating to the Cedar Ridge Barrel Room restaurant and lounge and updating infrastructure such as wiring and plumbing systems.
SSP America, the airport’s concessionaire, is opening the “Tap and Pour” in the new terminal extension, with beverages and a limited menu available until the remodeled Barrel Room is reopened.
Perhaps the highlight of the final phase will be the addition of a sensory room, “for travelers needing some quieter space to get away from the hustle and bustle of the terminal.”
“They’ll have some quieter space that helps folks that need those sorts of things, and it’ll be available for everybody,” Mr. Lenss said. “So if somebody wants some quieter space to do work, they can certainly access that area as well.”
When the terminal modernization project is completed this fall, Mr. Lenss said every portion of the terminal will have been remodeled or newly construction.
The project represents the first complete terminal modernization since the terminal opened in 1986.
The total cost of the four-phase project is an estimated $121 million. Mr. Lenss said 43% of the funding has been provided through local airport cash and cash reserves; 32% has come from federal funds through the FAA airport improvement programs, the bipartisan infrastructure law and the airport airport terminal program; and 25% has come from the state of Iowa through Iowa Department of Transportation Aviation Bureau funding
The airport also received a substantial portion – just over $28 million – of a $100 million American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocation announced in May 2022 for eight commercial airports across the state.
No local tax dollars were used to pay for the Eastern Iowa Airport project, Mr. Lenss said.
“Nothing from Linn County, Johnson County, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, none of our local municipalities have had to contribute,” he said. “And there’s been no debt in the process, either. We’re very proud of that ‘pay as we go,’ and we’ve been moving along as growth supports the improvements. That is all possible because of the greater region of Eastern Iowa using [the airport]. I say it often, but we don’t have these types of projects happen without the support of the local region. So we’re very appreciative of that.”
The new concourse extension is opening just in time for the start of CID’s busiest time of year – spring break. Mr. Lenss says Saturday, March 15 is expected to have the most passengers departing for that week of travel, with an anticipated 3,000 passengers departing CID on that day.
“We encourage passengers to come early for their flight so they can check out the new portion of the concourse,” Mr. Lenss says. “We’re proud of the progress that has been made, and we believe every person who flies out, or comes into CID, will see a bright, modern terminal that serves as the premium gateway for all of Eastern Iowa.”
The far-reaching project, with work encompassing more than a decade, is expected to meet the Eastern Iowa Airport’s needs for several decades to come, Mr. Lenss said, and when complete, the airport will have 13 commercial gates available.
“This terminal modernization that we’re finally completing this year should set this airport up for the next 30 years of continued growth of the community and continued growth in air service,” he said. “We’re starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel for the project, and we’re getting pretty excited to put the pencils down on this terminal modernization. We’re going to be really well positioned for the future.”
