A New KCI Is Taking Off Very Soon

I could not resist diverging off my regular message program to make an editorial comment today. Something that will change many Kansas Citizens lives for many years to come happened yesterday. The vote, Tuesday, November 7th, to move forward with a new airport is exciting news for the city's citizens and businesses. If it's good for Kansas City business, I'm interested. According to the Kansas City Business Journal, the new single-terminal project is "one of the biggest public works projects in the city's history."

KCI is a topic I've been following for years, so I wanted to share some thoughts. When I moved to Kansas City in 1991 KCI was an excellent place to catch a flight and seemed as modern as any airport I had visited. After the events of September 11, 2001, air travel changed. The solution to security in the new age was a necessity, but it always felt like a clunky add-on as-needed approach at KCI. After years of patch-up work at KCI, the place began feeling like a dying mall. I said it, a dying mall. So you got home from a trip and dumped in a dying mall. You visit Kansas City for the first time, and your friendly greeting feels like opening a time capsule from the early 90's minus the big hair.

Why do I care? I care because I love Kansas City. Kansas City is a great place to live. A great place to raise a family. Just the right size to be fun without being stressful.

There are some things I'll miss about KCI, but I have memories of travels and welcoming friends and family to my home. Memories are not a building. It's time to let the current KCI rest in peace. It's time to move forward.