Eastern Iowa Airport terminal remodel on schedule

CEDAR RAPIDS —Travelers retrieving their baggage in the east wing of The Eastern Iowa Airport terminal this week will get a preview of how the building will look when a $50 million remodeling project is completed.

The ceiling has been lifted and skylights have been installed to provide natural light, lowering utility costs. A new terrazzo floor has an inset pattern of the Cedar River flowing through Eastern Iowa that will traverse the full length of the terminal.

Rental car providers will occupy new counters and native stone similar to what visitors see outside the terminal will provide a visual 'taste' of the area's natural environment.

Airport Director Marty Lenss said the second phase of the four-year remodeling and expansion project is progressing on schedule and — so far — on budget.

'We are definitely on target in terms of project cost and schedule,' Lenss said.

'The airlines in the west end of the terminal will be moving to temporary counter space on the night of Nov. 10. Extra staff will be on hand to assist travelers with dropping off their bags.

'Their bags will be tagged at the ticket counter. They will need to take them to a bag drop for screening by the Transportation Security Administration, not unlike what we used to have here several years ago.'

Lenss said the west end of the terminal will be closed off for a couple of months to raise the ceilings, install additional skylights and the new terrazzo floor, and make other changes.

'We are hoping that the airlines will be back in their normal ticket counters by spring break,' he said.

Matt Dubbe of Mead & Hunt in Minneapolis, the supervising architect for the terminal project, said a new glass curtain wall will be installed while the west wing is closed for construction.

'We really need to have full access to that area so we can work expeditiously,' Dubbe said.

Lenss said the third phase of the terminal remodeling will be the largest and most costly endeavor.

'There will be a building addition to expand the B concourse and move the gate area upstairs for Frontier and Allegiant,' he said. 'That will start late next year.

'The security checkpoint will be expanded to meet current TSA design standards. When customers come through screening, it's very tight and crowded.

'B concourse gate was designed for ground boarding operations and a seating area for 50 passengers. We have Airbuses and MD-80s coming into that gate that hold 165 passengers.'

Lenss said breaking the terminal remodeling work into four projects or phases allows the Cedar Rapids Airport Commission to respond to a major change in the aviation industry.

'The commission can stop at the end of any project and still have a very useful building,' he said. 'It's a fiscally responsible way to go about a major remodel like this.'

The terminal remodeling and expansion will be completed without incurring new debt, increasing costs for tenants or passengers, or accepting city or county tax revenue.