A new commercial venture for the McKinney National Airport could be coming soon if voters choose in a May vote.
The McKinney City Council voted 6-0 to include a $200 million bond for the expansion of its airport, something which McKinney Mayor George Fuller said was just the first step in a longer process.
“It’s important for everyone to know that this bond election is a step, not the final step, in the diligence, the analysis, the preparation for commercial passenger service,” Fuller said during the meeting.
A committee previously recommended the bond process move forward to the full city council.
Fuller told WFAA that he supports the expansion of the airport. “But I’m one vote and there’s 210 thousand people to weigh in,” he said.
If approved, it will include a 144,000-square-foot terminal at the airport’s east, according to the McKinney National Airport website. It will include four new gates, with the potential to expand to 16 gates.
There will also be more than 2,000 parking lot spaces and plenty of room for bars, restaurants, playrooms for younger children, and other related retail perks for passengers.
Currently, the McKinney National Airport only services business flights for private individuals, as well as flight training and medical flights, among other things.
City officials believe that the project’s total cost will be $300 million, with $100 million being paid for by grants.
An environmental impact study conducted in the spring will be presented to community members to discuss the feasibility of the project, with open houses occurring in the months of March and April.
Barry Shelton, assistant city manager, said the open houses will take place prior to any draft of the bond project being written.
“We want to get it out, and we know it’s important for the citizens who are going to go into the ballot box to choose whether or not the city moves forward with this,” Shelton said. “We want them to have the information, so we’re getting that out even earlier than we otherwise would have.”
