It’s only fitting that Kansas City’s university would be involved throughout the largest infrastructure project in the history of the city. 新的KCI机场航站楼向旅客开放，威尼斯人娱乐城的学生，校友和教职员工帮助实现了这一目标。
沟通
Before any construction happened, Joe McBride (B.A. ’86) had one of the earliest roles to play in the project: getting the community on board. 作为堪萨斯城航空部门的高级公关经理，麦克布莱德必须说服人们相信新建航站楼的必要性，这有时是一场艰难的战斗，因为许多堪萨斯城人喜欢旧机场设计的便利。
“I was happy that people had a sense of ownership of it,” McBride says. “That’s good.”
After the project was approved, McBride monitored public meetings and comments to ensure that travelers’ concerns were taken into consideration during the design process. 他在这个项目中的角色从始至终都是真正的，因为他在规划盛大的开幕式上也发挥了关键作用。
“I think after all the labor and toil it will be, ‘Wow, it’s finally here,’” McBride said. “And watching people come into the terminal, checking in with the wow and the awe in their eyes, that’s going to be a fun, long, proud day.”
设计
For Kimberly (B.S.E.E. ‘95) and Trent (B.S.C.E. ’95) Robinett, the chance to participate in the design of the new airport had as much personal significance as professional.
“The terminal project is one of those signature projects that impacts the entire city,” Kimberly said. “It is the first thing about our city that visitors experience. But beyond that, we are hopeful that the new terminal will improve the lives of Kansas City residents by making it more attractive for airlines to add additional connections out of Kansas City.”
罗比内特夫妇共同创立了TREKK设计集团。 《星际迷航》帮助开发了新机场的基础设施。 这包括定位和测量现有的公用设施。
“Our crews were challenged with untangling what looked like a bowl of spaghetti,” she said.
在那里，他们与分包商合作，为新航站楼设计关键系统，包括排水和地面服务设备。 这些系统对旅行者有重大影响，但与食品供应商或零售商不同，旅行者通常不知道它们的存在。 但是，据金伯利说，罗比内特夫妇从来没有考虑过认可。
“We are so grateful for the opportunities that we have had to work with leaders across Kansas City in building its future and making a meaningful contribution toward improving lives.”
工程
Led by CEO Hagos Andebrhan (B.S.C.E. ’78) and president Leonard Graham (B.A. ’74), Taliaferro & Browne Inc. is the lead landside civil engineer company for the terminal project. Although they’ve been involved in significant projects before, including renovations of Arrowhead and Kauffman Stadium and the Kauffman Performing 艺术s Center, they view this project as notable in its own way.
“It is the largest single infrastructure project in the city’s history, and the largest construction project in which our firm has lead-design responsibility,” says Graham. “The KCI new single terminal project is probably one our proudest efforts yet.”
The firm’s responsibilities included project management and coordination, design of roadways, including roundabouts and bridges, street and parking lot lighting, surface parking lots and utility relocation. And if that wasn’t enough, the firm was also responsible for designing the temporary traffic modifications that kept travelers moving to the old terminals throughout the project.
“The new $1.5 billion KCI single terminal is a project like no other,” says Andebrhan. “It is a once in a lifetime project for the city and everyone involved in its construction.”
咨询
来自布洛赫管理学院的四名学生Msgana Zegeye、Nicolas Hartung、Erik Klaas和Henry Meeds向供应商管理公司Vantage Airport Group进行了咨询。 学生们研究了如何吸引工人并满足他们的需求，特别是餐馆和其他机场供应商的员工。 他们就使用哪些招聘网站、员工的交通需求以及如何从堪萨斯市中心招聘员工等问题提出了建议。
“Participating in a once-in-a-generation project and making a meaningful impact on my city has been an unforgettable experience,” Meeds said.
Hartung added, “Not only did we gain real-word experience, we were also given the opportunity to be part of Kansas City’s history. 参与这个项目让我明白，课堂并不是在大学里学习基本技能的唯一途径。”
艺术
工作室艺术教授卡蒂·托伊万宁（Kati Toivanen）从1900多名申请者中脱颖而出，成为为新航站楼创作一件艺术品的28名艺术家之一。 This piece is Toivanen’s first permanent commission in the city, and it represents an experience she knows well: traveling with family.
托伊万宁来自芬兰，经常出差探亲。 当她儿子还小的时候，她的大部分行李空间都用来满足他的需求和娱乐。 Her artwork, titled “I Spy Carry-on” is reminiscent of those days.
“The collection of objects in the project reflects this universal experience of family travel,” Toivanen said. “It is my hope that the project will provide entertainment for both parents and children as they explore and discover familiar objects in the images.”
Spoiler alert: look closely and you’ll find a kangaroo shape that signifies Kansas City’s university.