DES MOINES, Iowa — The Des Moines International Airport's new terminal project is set for a big upgrade in the next several years.
Design of the new terminal will begin later this year, pending financial approval, for the project to get rolling. Construction would begin in 2024 and be completed in 2026.
"The airport in so many ways is our front door to the rest of the world. The current terminal has served us well, but we've outgrown it. We need a modern and larger terminal, and we need to get it done," said Jay Byers, CEO of the Greater Des Moines Partnership.
The new terminal project will cost over $575 million, with the funds coming from a variety of sources.
The Polk County Board of Supervisors voted last week to give $10 million to the project in addition to the $10 million the City of Des Moines has already pledged. In total, central Iowa municipalities will foot over $34 million, but that's just over 5% of the total cost of the project.
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But a new terminal is sorely needed for the central Iowa metro. It's the fastest population-growing metro in the past decade in the Midwest, according to Byers.
"We've grown 67% in the last 10 years in terms of passengers. If we do that again in the next 10 years, there's just no way this facility is going to handle it," Brian Mulcahy, Director of Finance for the airport, told Local 5.
International direct flights are at the top of Mulcahy's list.
"Cancun is our top international destination, one of our top 20 total. It's a real possibility as a direct flight, even possibly before the new terminal, but definitely with the new one," he added.
DSM International Airport is responsible for 65% of commercial traffic for the state.