MOLINE, Ill. — The Quad Cities International Airport broke ground Thursday on a major renovation project. It's the first phase of Project GATEWAY, a multi-year terminal construction master plan.
The project was announced in 2021.
The landside of the terminal, the area before passengers go through TSA, was last updated in 1985. Project one focuses on removing security screening equipment from the ticketing lobby and modernizing airline ticket counters.
A new 14,600-square-foot building will be added to the backside of the terminal for the relocated screening device and to collect screened luggage.
A later project phase will remove the brick floors.
"It was around before the advent of TSA and increased security... came around before roller board bags were a thing," Ben Leischner, the airport's executive director said. "So you hear the click-clack of the brick floors. But also things that a lot of people take for granted, like the Americans with Disabilities Act, things that should be a staple of every public facility in the country."
The first phase of the project is expected to be completed in May 2025 and is estimated to cost $18 million. It's largely funded through the FAA and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The airport said it will fund any remaining costs. The entirety of Project GATEWAY is a $40-60 million investment and is estimated to take five to six years to complete, depending on federal funds.
"Concurrently, we're going to be designing and working with the project team to design and develop the next phase. I don't know what that's going to be, if it's going to be a canopy over the curb front so when people show up, they're going to be undercover," Leischner said. "We'll look at future features like companion care restrooms, nursing mother suites, revamped dining for food and beverage retail space. It's gonna be a much more modern experience."
He said a modern airport and amenities are what travelers have come to expect. He also hopes to expand and double the roughly 1,400 jobs at the airport over the next decade.
"So as we hope to grow into the future, we hope we have the space to welcome new routes, new airlines, and this is an important piece to that," Leischner said.
In December 2021, the airport selected Mortenson to lead the project, along with local workers. Leischner said at any one point, 80-110 local people will be working on the project.
The airport said passenger impact will be minimal throughout phase one of Project GATEWAY. Some ticket counters will be temporarily relocated and the checked bag drop off for TSA screening will be moved to the far east end of the lobby, just before turning to go through the security checkpoint.