Des Moines — The Des Moines Airport Authority on Dec. 8 gave city leaders a progress update on a multi‑phase terminal expansion that officials said is funded by a mix of grants and a county loan and will change airport operations and traffic patterns over the next several years.

Brian Mulcahy, CEO of the authority, said the airport’s business model relies heavily on non‑tax revenues and that parking accounts for roughly one‑third of the authority’s revenue. "We have no back stop. We don't have property taxes," Mulcahy said, underscoring the airport’s dependence on fees and tenant income as it scales up construction and operations.

The authority reported that reserves rose from about $20,000,000 at the time it became an authority in 2011 to roughly $100,000,000 in 2024 before construction spending began. Mulcahy said the county loan supporting the terminal will translate into about $24,000,000 in annual debt service for the authority going forward.

Project phasing and construction: Brian Belt, the authority’s chief development officer, outlined a phased approach driven by FAA funding allocations that sequences apron pours, demolition and new gate openings. Belt said heavy earthmoving has already occurred — "we almost had 22,000 trucks hauling dirt this summer" — and described a borrow pit on 42nd/Army Post with about 120,000 cubic yards remaining to be removed through 2029.

Mulcahy and Belt described specific capital pieces already completed or under way: a parking garage opened in July that expands stall counts and includes an "easy pickup" area intended to move curbside pick‑ups into the garage; a south‑side rental car facility whose opening moved from a January target to closer to May or June because tenant improvements lagged; and a new de‑icing pad opened in October. The de‑icing consortium supplies 10 new trucks, shortens de‑icing operations and — officials said — reduces glycol collection from the equivalent of roughly 40 acres to about 10 acres, with plans for recycling rather than treatment plant disposal where feasible.

Design and passenger experience: Renderings shown to council included expanded ticketing and security footprints, more restrooms, and new food‑service concepts. Mulcahy said the authority will prioritize local vendors in concessions, citing work with the Greater Des Moines Art Foundation on in‑terminal art and a planned quick‑serve concept called "Iowa Eats." He also confirmed a protected (but not fully enclosed) second‑floor walkway from the parking garage to the terminal and a pet relief room in the secure area.

Capacity and schedule: The airport currently operates about 13 gates and plans to open six additional gates in January '27. Mulcahy said the authority expects to operate in a 19–21 gate range in the medium term and that some older boarding bridges will be relocated to the new terminal to control costs. Staff cited a bundle of more than 20 active grants supporting elements of the project and referenced "$212,000,000 of grants" alongside the county loan as part of the funding package. Officials provided schedule targets for apron pours and openings they labeled in staff materials (dates referenced in the presentation as sequences such as '02/08' for certain milestones).

Community impacts and next steps: Mulcahy warned that runway and apron work will require repeated closures and could lead to temporary increases in noise complaints when flight paths change. The authority plans operational readiness testing that will simulate peak‑hour flows with several hundred passengers prior to the switch from the existing terminal to the new facility. Council members asked about accessibility, handicap parking distribution, and how the airport will preserve its competitiveness for air service as it grows.

The presentation did not include a formal council motion or vote; staff closed the airport update and the meeting moved to the next agenda item.