Offices, rental car counter will be housed in building adjacent to new COU terminal

Charles Dunlap, Columbia Daily Tribune
·2 min read
The new Columbia Regional Airport terminal, pictured here, is expected to open in September. An adjacent structure will house offices of airport administration, the Transportation Security Administration and a rental car counter.
The new Columbia Regional Airport terminal, pictured here, is expected to open in September. An adjacent structure will house offices of airport administration, the Transportation Security Administration and a rental car counter.

By this time next year, offices for airport administration, the Transportation Security Administration and a rental car counter all will be housed in the same building at Columbia Regional Airport, says airport manager Mike Parks.

The offices and car rental will go into a structure adjacent to the airport's new terminal, which is set to open next month. The structure will need renovation and parking lot improvements, which is the second phase of planned airport improvements after construction of the terminal is completed.

"Right now we are going through the public improvement process," Parks said about the second phase of the airport project. "We will go out to bid for a design team here soon. We anticipate having that design team on board this fall."

The project will go out for a construction bid after the design team completes its process, he added. Renovation and construction is expected to happen next year.

More: New Columbia Regional Airport terminal set to open in September

Depending on design time frame, Parks expects construction to be completed by summer 2023.

An interested parties meeting was held Wednesday for phase two of the terminal improvement project. Airport administration and car rental currently are housed in the airport's original terminal, while TSA offices are housed in an out-building nearby.

Only one community member attended Wednesday's meeting, Parks said Thursday in a phone call with the Tribune. That person was enthusiastic about the project, he said, while also encouraging the airport to install solar panels on buildings.

Parks is looking forward to the opening of the airport's new terminal.

"It will be a great facility for all of mid-Missouri to use. It will also be a great face of the region as people fly in," Parks said.

Charles Dunlap covers local government, community stories and other general subjects for the Tribune. You can reach him at cdunlap@columbiatribune.com or @CD_CDT on Twitter. Please consider subscribing to support vital local journalism.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Columbia airport starts second phase of new terminal addition