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TERMINALS  
May | June 2026      AirportImprovement.com
CID
After more than 10 years 
of phased planning and 
construction, Eastern Iowa Airport 
(CID) in Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, IA, has 
completed a comprehensive modernization 
and expansion program. The result is an 
updated, light-filled terminal designed to 
accommodate larger aircraft and remain 
flexible for changing passenger needs. 
“This has been 
a decade of work,” 
reflects Airport Director 
Marty Lenss. “But it’s 
really rewarding to 
see the finish line and 
know we’ve delivered 
a facility that meets the 
needs of our region 
now and well into the future.” 
The nearly $121 million project 
significantly expanded the terminal 
footprint from 94,000 square feet to 
approximately 240,000. The airport also 
modernized its aging infrastructure, 
expanded gate and holdroom capacity to 
accommodate larger aircraft and redefined 
the passenger experience with common-
use processing systems, improved 
circulation, natural daylight and improved 
post-security amenities. 
The modernization and expansion 
effort was driven by shortcomings in 
critical systems that could no longer be 
addressed with incremental improvements. 
Originally built in 1986, CID’s terminal 
had reached the end of its useful life, 
from HVAC and electrical infrastructure 
to baggage handling and passenger 
processing areas. 
To complete the comprehensive project, 
the airport assembled a core team of long-
standing consultants and contractors. Foth 
Infrastructure & Environment served as its 
on-call engineering consultant and owner’s 
representative. Mead & Hunt acted as 
architect of record and design lead during 
all four phases. Rinderknecht Associates 
Inc. served as general contractor for the final 
phase, delivering an additional concourse 
expansion within the active terminal.
Planning the Change
Over time, steady passenger growth, 
changing security requirements and 
evolving airline fleets had exposed capacity 
constraints across the facility, especially in 
restrooms, security screening, concessions 
and holdrooms that had been designed 
to accommodate traffic from smaller 
aircraft. “Passenger growth had been fairly 
consistent, so some of the restrooms were 
no longer adequate size-wise,” Lenss 
notes. “We had a concession program that 
MARTY LENSS
Eastern Iowa Airport Completes 
Decade-Long Terminal Modernization
BY KRISTEN RINDFLEISCH

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