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San Antonio council hears update on airport expansion, concessions and proposed 2,500-space parking garage
Summary
City staff briefed the San Antonio City Council on progress toward a new terminal, concessions solicitations, federal funding and a proposed parking garage that staff said could hold up to 2,500 vehicles; councilmembers asked about grant levels, construction timing and public communications.
San Antonio City Council members on May 14 heard a detailed briefing on the airport’s terminal program, upcoming solicitations for construction and concessions, and plans for a new parking structure that staff said could accommodate up to 2,500 vehicles.
The presentation, delivered by Jesús (airport staff), summarized recent route growth, federal funding the department has received, proposals for concession packages and the schedule and delivery methods for major construction contracts. Jesús said the airport has met a seasonal connectivity goal of 48 destinations in 2025 and outlined multiple procurement steps that staff will bring to the council for approval.
Jesús told the council that the airport has received “232000000” in federal funds since 2020 and expects “96000000” in 2026, and that the department is pursuing both discretionary and formula funding to support the new terminal and related projects. He said the airport has seen passenger increases and international traffic growth compared with prior periods. He described three concession solicitation packages launched last year — two for food-and-beverage and one for retail — and said the original Package 1 was reissued with revised locations focused on Terminal B.
On concessions, Jesús said the evaluation committee met April 25 to score two proposals under the same criteria used in the solicitation. He described local-concept offers that the committee found notable, including a French bakery concept and a tasting-room concept focused on Texas wineries, plus local barbecue and other local operators. Jesús said the concession agreement structure includes minimum guarantees and percentage-rent proposals the airport will use to measure revenue performance.
On parking and ground transportation, Jesús described a planned parking facility that could hold up to 2,500 vehicles, with centralized access and space for airport operations staff and climate control in elevators. He said the project is intended to improve passenger access and intermodal connections and that staff estimate the garage could be available “sometime in the fall of 2027” before the new terminal opens. Jesús also noted a separate metal building project and said one element is scheduled to finish in 2028 while other work on the airfield and terminal rehabilitation is expected to be completed later this year.
The presentation outlined delivery methods staff plan to use, including design and construction solicitations and a construction-manager-at-risk approach for some packages. Jesús cited an estimated $110,000,000 figure for certain delivery methods and an estimated $260,000,000 contract for a construction-manager-under-risk delivery on a larger package; he said financing would rely on airport revenues and bond proceeds. He also described evaluation scoring criteria for upcoming solicitations that include experience, financial capacity, scope and local preference points.
Councilmember Cabello Jáverda asked about the likelihood of receiving federal grant awards. Jesús responded that confidence is high, that staff have been meeting with federal officials and that some grants can be issued quickly when projects are shovel-ready; he said staff had discussed potential awards “up to 13000000” in specific conversations with federal contacts. Several councilmembers raised questions about public communication and signage for the new concessions and parking so travelers and neighbors understand changes during construction.
Neighbors’ concerns about construction impacts and parking access were noted in the discussion. Jesús and councilmembers said staff will continue outreach to explain how parking access and payment functions will work; Jesús noted that one payment option already allows up to four vehicles to be linked to a single payment card.
Councilmember Villagrán and others praised the airport team’s work and emphasized marketing the airport’s new retail and restaurant offerings to highlight San Antonio’s local brands. Jesús closed by saying staff will return with further solicitation results and schedule updates. After the item concluded, the council moved into an executive session at 2:46 p.m., May 14, 2025.
