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Laredo airport board outlines $7–9M TSA queuing remodel, seeks city bond to finish terminal work
Summary
Airport staff told the board the next phase of terminal work will reconfigure TSA queuing and cost roughly $7–9 million; the project sits inside a larger program with about $70 million in federal allocations but additional local borrowing or bonds will be needed to complete remaining renovation and airfield safety projects.
Airport staff told the Laredo Airport Board that phase 2.1 of the terminal rehabilitation will reconfigure the TSA security queue, move queuing to the north side of the terminal and convert some office space to TSA operations to improve passenger flow.
"Phase 2.1 will consist of the remodel of the area from TSA... we'll make a decent queueing lane there," said Mr. Sanchez, who presented the construction update. He said staff is pending pricing for phase 2.1 and is planning to allocate "around 7 to 9 million" for that work.
Staff described the project as a staged renovation rather than an immediate expansion of gates. The board was told a federal allocation of about $70 million is associated with the broader terminal program, but earlier public announcements that suggested a $60 million expansion could not be completed because additional local financing was not secured. "They announced a $60 million project and we couldn't secure the 40 extra million dollars needed for that project," a board member said during the meeting.
Board members and staff also discussed airfield safety work and equipment needs. Staff said roughly $28–29 million is being pursued for EMAS and airfield work to preserve runway safety and accommodate current aircraft types. Mr. Sanchez said the airport previously received an unplanned $10 million in additional funds and is exploring city bond financing to fill remaining gaps for terminal interior renovation and other packages.
Why it matters: The TSA-queue remodel is intended to fix chronic crowding at security and sustain operations for the next decade. Financing decisions will affect the timing of interior renovations (restrooms, second-floor finishes) and whether additional airfield investments move forward on the current schedule.
Next steps: Staff said it will complete price estimates for phase 2.1, return with package costs, and pursue bond options through the city's budget process. The board discussed rebidding later renovation packages and said it will consider bond authorization as part of the upcoming budget cycle.
Sources: Project scope and dollar ranges were presented by Mr. Sanchez in the operations/ construction update to the Laredo Airport Board (see staff report).
