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Good to see you are looking at this topic with an open mind. More people need to do that.
Thank you,
I try to look at each topic discussed on C-D with an open mind and research it well enough to at least give the impression to others that I know just enough about the topic at hand to show I really don't know what I'm talking about
Seriously though I'm very open to changing my opinions when new facts and information come to light that highlight previous issues I had not given thought to.
I would love to see KCI stay the same it has for years and I wish there was a way to fix all these issues while leaving the airport in tact as is on the surface. I do know there is always a way to fix or resolve every problem including the baggage claim system but the reality dictates that the cost might be prohibitive to a degree simply because with the best intentions of fixing one problem I'm sure inevitably it will create other unplanned problems.
For example if they were somehow able to redesign and totally overhaul the entire baggage system it might take up important space thats needed for other services or emergency personal, therefore those new issues will then be created will also then need to be solved. It's never as simple as just fixing the one thing that needs to be fixed, its a domino effect where everything you do then directly affects other operations. For this reason it's often easier, cheaper, and better from a design standpoint (based on experience and other operations) to simply start new and build the new terminal that seems to be needed.
Again I wish there was a way to save two of the older terminals and re-purpose them in way that saves their history while also at the same time totally adding to and building on the new terminal and the overall airport.
What's the real possibility of the airport being rebuilt in JoCo? And, is this the reason why so many JoCo boosters don't want KCMO to upgrade MCI? In hopes that one day, MCI will become more and more obsolete so they can transplant it across state lines?
None. Kansas is broke. The "dysfunction" in the state is making national news:
About the only things being built in the state are funded via STAR Bonds and TIFs and they are mostly just small office buildings and shopping centers. To replicate KCI in a new location in JoCo would cost at least 5 billion dollars, probably a lot more. And it wouldn't be all that close to anybody except those that live south of 435. It would basically be in Miami County, so far from Downtown KC that it would totally destroy KCMO's ability to compete nationally and since KCMO is who brings in most new jobs to the metro (not JoCo), the end result would hurt JoCo too.
But like I said, Kansas spending five billion dollars on an airport is laughable. But trust me if they could do it, they would and they would not give a crap about how much it would hurt the metro area so long as they can keep building office parks at 135th and Metcalf.
What's the real possibility of the airport being rebuilt in JoCo? And, is this the reason why so many JoCo boosters don't want KCMO to upgrade MCI? In hopes that one day, MCI will become more and more obsolete so they can transplant it across state lines?
There is a LESS THAN ZERO chance of a major airport like KCI being built in JoCo. It's the ultimate NIMBY (not in my backyard) scenario. Sure, Johnson Countians would like a shorter drive to the airport, but not a single one of them would actually support having one built inside the county. They might have been thrilled if Richards-Gebaur had been converted into an international airport, or perhaps if one had been built out by Village West in KCK. But IN Johnson County? They wouldn't support the idea even if it was free. And it's most. definitely. not. free.
But like I said, Kansas spending five billion dollars on an airport is laughable. But trust me if they could do it, they would and they would not give a crap about how much it would hurt the metro area so long as they can keep building office parks at 135th and Metcalf.
With all the reading I've done through older threads I have come to the conclusion you're right about this which I've highlighted above. It's my impression that JoCo has almost an entitlement mentality because they have spent millions of dollars luring and poaching business to their side / area and now feel like they deserve to also have the major infrastructure needed to support everything. Seems JoCo wasn't content just being a nice quiet suburb and pushed forward to become a mini city and now they simply want it all.
I agree that if JoCo was located anywhere else out by itself that this would be seen as ambitious and honorable community but because JoCo is part of a larger metro area where their actions hurt the greater good than it changes what they are doing from being ambitions and honorable to being greedy, selfish, and self serving.
And it wouldn't be all that close to anybody except those that live south of 435. It would basically be in Miami County, so far from Downtown KC that it would totally destroy KCMO's ability to compete nationally and since KCMO is who brings in most new jobs to the metro (not JoCo), the end result would hurt JoCo too.
That, too. The closest they could possibly build it to the population centers of Johnson County would be near Stilwell (still in JoCo, but just barely.) Yes, some people would find this convenient, but a huge chunk of the county would still need over 30 minutes to get there, and most of the county is easily within a 45-minute drive of KCI. Plus, you would probably lose a portion of the St. Joseph market (which is close enough to KCI to consider it "their" airport) to Omaha. In exchange, you would you gain? Everybody in the large region to the south of KC already uses KCI.
There is a LESS THAN ZERO chance of a major airport like KCI being built in JoCo. It's the ultimate NIMBY (not in my backyard) scenario. Sure, Johnson Countians would like a shorter drive to the airport, but not a single one of them would actually support having one built inside the county. They might have been thrilled if Richards-Gebaur had been converted into an international airport, or perhaps if one had been built out by Village West in KCK. But IN Johnson County? They wouldn't support the idea even if it was free. And it's most. definitely. not. free.
As much as I want to agree with you regarding JoCo being the quintessential NIMBY community I think their leaders are more concerned with image, power, greed, and control and would invite a new airport if it were possible just so they could add it to their growing collection of companies and corporate office parks.
I doubt that KCI will be moving anytime soon simply because of all the land they have as well as the incredible cost for all new infrastructure.
Also reading up on Richard- Gebaur I'm still undecided whether it was the right decision to close it and sell it to KCS but whats done is done. Either way I sure hope that the state of Missouri gets fully behind KCS Railroad and helps built the largest inland port because I am 100% confident that it will pay off in the future as one of the best investments the metro area will have in its portfolio.
As much as I want to agree with you regarding JoCo being the quintessential NIMBY community I think their leaders are more concerned with image, power, greed, and control and would invite a new airport if it were possible just so they could add it to their growing collection of companies and corporate office parks.
I doubt that KCI will be moving anytime soon simply because of all the land they have as well as the incredible cost for all new infrastructure.
Also reading up on Richard- Gebaur I'm still undecided whether it was the right decision to close it and sell it to KCS but whats done is done. Either way I sure hope that the state of Missouri gets fully behind KCS Railroad and helps built the largest inland port because I am 100% confident that it will pay off in the future as one of the best investments the metro area will have in its portfolio.
As much as I want to agree with you regarding JoCo being the quintessential NIMBY community I think their leaders are more concerned with image, power, greed, and control and would invite a new airport if it were possible just so they could add it to their growing collection of companies and corporate office parks.
I doubt that KCI will be moving anytime soon simply because of all the land they have as well as the incredible cost for all new infrastructure.
Also reading up on Richard- Gebaur I'm still undecided whether it was the right decision to close it and sell it to KCS but whats done is done. Either way I sure hope that the state of Missouri gets fully behind KCS Railroad and helps built the largest inland port because I am 100% confident that it will pay off in the future as one of the best investments the metro area will have in its portfolio.
I have said this many times, but since you are interested in the topic, I’ll repeat.
Richard’s Gebaur was a deteriorating former air force base with a single long runway. The place was falling apart. It was total overkill and costly for the city to maintain as a general aviation airport and was home to relatively few private planes compared to much smaller and nicer airports in Lee’s Summit and Johnson County. Maintaining a 10,000 foot long runway for a couple dozen small cessna airplanes didn't make sense.
While RG was open, the KC Aviation Department was spreading its revenue (both locally raised and federal money) too thin across MCI, MKC an Richard’s Gebaur. The city closed the airport and used the future FFA funds that were going to RG to totally upgrade MKC into one of the best corporate airports in the country. Before the city closed RG, the Downtown airport was in desperate need of infrastructure replacement, expansions and improvements and was losing their corporate and private traffic to JoCo Exec, New Century and Lee’s Summit. The hangers were half used. Now MKC has built all new hangers and has a waiting list for them. They built a multi use building with restaurants and office space that has already been expanded once. The original terminal has been renovated and the executive Beechcraft terminal was also updated. Both runways and all taxiways have since been rebuilt and safety features have been added. Many corporate customers came back downtown from JoCo even for companies based in JoCo such as Sprint because MKC is a first class full service corporate airport that offers all the amenities and services that high up executives demand. Plus it’s just more impressive to fly into MKC than JoCo executive or something when wining and dining clients and business partners. Had the city kept RG open it would have two run down airports hemorrhaging traffic to JoCo instead of one great airport that is now the airport of choice for business travelers as well as high end charters that come in for events such as pro sporting events, concerts, nascar races etc.
RG has since be converted into an intermodal facility for BNSF using the long runway for offloading trains onto trucks. The area around it is building up into a warehouse and industrial park. Nothing was happening when it was an airport except blight.
Closing RG was a great move by the city.
As far as using the location for the international airport?
Here are a few reasons why it would be a terrible idea:
Cost.
A new airport there would cost about the same as a new airport anywhere, probably more because the land needed for three 10,000 foot runways there would need to be flattened. So what would be the point for the city to walk away from several billion dollars in airport infrastructure to duplicate the same thing on the other side of the city? RG only had one runway. To duplicate KCI there would require 3-4 times the space and the area around there becomes rugged beyond the original airport grounds and that just for three runways. It would never be able to expand beyond that while KCI can eventually expand by two more runways.
NIMBYs.
To put a full size airport there would put runways up against places like Loch Llyod and growing parts of Belton which wouldn’t fly.
Environmental Concerns.
You would have planes flying directly over populated areas all day long. KCI’s flight patterns are perfectly situated to where noise pollution is minimal over populated areas.
Location.
Moving KCI to the former RG location would be a terrible move for the city. What would be the point to removing KCI from a very fast growing part of and placing it in an area of KCMO that will never see any major growth? The distance from Downtown would be the same, if not further and you just removed the biggest economic generator of the northland.
Economy.
The Tiffany Springs area has thousands of hotel rooms that only serve KCI. If the airport moved, much of that will close or become blight. Not that many people visit KC from Omaha and will fill all those rooms. Guess what would happen if you built a new airport at RG? A few hotels would go up, but mostly you just built a new airport for all the JoCo hotels. And speaking of JoCo, you just built a new airport, killing your growing Northland economy to build a new airport for Johnson County residents and corporations making it even easier and giving KCMO companies another reason to move to JoCo to be closer to the airport. Moving KCI to RG would have been one of the most economically suicidal things KCMO could have ever done to itself.
The only real loss to KC has the big airshow that was held at RG that was free and used to attract hundreds of thousands every year, but the military has cut way back or even canceled those shows now do to cuts and MKC has stepped up and put on a pretty good private airshow that often includes the Blue Angels or Thunderbirds. I actually think the airshow is much better downtown because you can see the show from all over downtown.
The city did right. Nobody knows it, but they did. The area around MCI is booming. MKC is thriving. RG has been re-purposed.
All the city needs to do now is build a new terminal at MCI…
"In regards to needing 500+ TSA agents at KCI opposed to other airports that need far fewer well I would consider the number of jobs which that provides for the airport and KC so in that regards I'm "meh" on the number of TSA agents. "
Consider these are government jobs and the funding for this is taxes - which we pay (or at least I know I do!). Of course, reducing the budget rarely means reducing the revenue - it just goes elsewhere. Just a thought.
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