Burns & McDonnell: We’ll start KCI construction Nov. 8

Burns & McDonnell said Tuesday it plans to get to work on a single terminal project at Kansas City International Airport immediately after a Nov. 7 election — that is, if the Kansas City Council and voters pick the engineering firm to do the job.

Ron Coker, senior vice president at Burns & McDonnell, said the firm’s KCI team would break ground on a new terminal on Nov. 8.

Construction would be limited initially, as the firm would need permits to begin meaningful construction work. Coker suggested a Nov. 8 ground breaking would involve more than a photo opportunity.

“That’s not just ceremonial, that’s actual construction,” Coker said.

Coker’s announcement was made at the headquarters of Mark One Electric, an electrical contracting firm at 909 Troost Avenue. Mark One Electric was one of several local companies that have been added to Burns & McDonnell’s team that’s proposing the roughly $1 billion terminal project.

Tuesday’s event was meant in part to build support for the company’s KCI proposals and seek other firms interested in working with Burns & McDonnell. The Kansas City engineering firm has been publicly building its message for the KCI project. Burns & McDonnell confirmed that it had paid for radio and television spots that speak favorably about its proposal.

The Kansas City Council awaits proposals for the project. Burns & McDonnell was the first company to suggest designing, building and privately financing a new terminal at KCI.

Since then, City Hall put out a solicitation for competing proposals.

AECOM, a Los Angeles design and engineering firm, has built a team interested in pursuing the KCI project, as well.

The final deadline for proposals is Aug. 10, which leaves the Kansas City Council two weeks to pick a proposal before an Aug. 24 deadline to put a question to voters on Nov. 7.

This story was originally published July 18, 2017 at 4:23 PM with the headline "Burns & McDonnell: We’ll start KCI construction Nov. 8."