Site plan for new terminal at McKinney National Airport wins preliminary OK

MCKINNEY, Texas — This article was originally published by our content partners at the Dallas Business Journal. You can read original article here.

Plans for commercial airline service out of McKinney National Airport are moving forward after the McKinney City Council approved a site plan Jan. 7 for a new 48,000-square-foot terminal.

Council approved construction plan by a 5-2 vote. In addition to the new terminal, the plan includes a new runway on the east side of the airport’s runway, a new apron, parking and a new roundabout to direct traffic from FM 546. The document also details some design exceptions, such as such as reducing landscaping and the number of trees in the parking lot and along runways.

The project is expected to cost about $72 million, according to a presentation during the city council meeting on January 7.

The funding includes a $1.7 million grant from the McKinney Economic Development Corp., a $3.6 million grant from the McKinney Community Development Corp. $30 million federal loan. An additional $22.4 million grant from the McKinney EDC may also be awarded in the near future.

However, there is still a $14.3 million funding gap that the city aims to fill through federal or state transportation funds or tax increment reinvestment zones (TIRZ). Design efforts are currently supported by a $5.4 million grant from the McKinney EDC and CDC.

“We continue to work with the McKinney EDC and CDC to finalize both companies’ contributions to the project,” said Airport Director Ken Carley. “All financing must be in place before a construction contract can be executed.”

The McKinney Planning and Zoning Commission will host a public hearing at its next meeting on Jan. 14, prior to voting on final approval of the plan. If approved, the city will be one step closer to its goal of creating Dallas-Fort Worth’s third commercial airport after DFW International and Dallas Love Field. Plans to expand the east side of the airport have been in place since 2018, when the city purchased a 190-hectare site for future development.

Carley said he hopes to begin construction in May. If all goes according to plan, commercial service from McKinney’s airport may begin at the end of 2026.

Councilman Patrick Cloutier, despite supporting the proposed site plan and its design exceptions, voted against it, citing concerns about the financing of the commercial expansion. Cloutier also criticized the timing of the site plan’s release, saying it was not put online early enough for the public to review before the vote.

In 2023, voters rejected a $200 million bond proposal to finance airport expansion, with concerns about increased noise and traffic in the city. That bond would have covered two-thirds of the total project cost of $300.7 million.

“I’m looking for partners, whether it’s an airline, whether it’s that Goldman Sachswhether it’s the FAA, whether it’s the (Texas Department of Transportation), to come in here and help the McKinney taxpayer get this across the finish line, and I haven’t seen that yet,” Cloutier said during the meeting.

Council member Charlie Philips countered that Cloutier’s concerns were “premature.” He said the council’s approval allows the Planning and Zoning Commission to review the plan and allows airport officials and residents to provide input on funding before the issue returns to the council.

Despite his reservations, Cloutier said he is confident the airport expansion will happen, calling it a matter of “when.” 4.1 million peoplehas two airports, same as DFW has 8.1 million inhabitants.

If the city is successful, the expanded airport will have a new 144,000-square-foot terminal, a 15-acre apron and 2,000 additional parking spaces. The commercial terminal would initially open with four gates supporting between four and 20 flights per day. In 2040, the airport can be expanded to 16 gates and up to 40 daily departures.

McKinney National is today a general aviation airport. This means that it hosts private planes, whether they are leisure planes or corporate planes. Current companies operating out of the airport include ToyotaTexas Instruments and Cirrus Aircraft, which offer flight training.

On December 3, McKinney City Council approved a redistribution request for a new terminal and car park on the south-east side of the airport. Last fall, city officials also announced plans to improve the airport’s infrastructure by investing $24 million in expanding the airport’s runway from 7,502 feet to 8,002 feet.