The Quad Cities International Airport in Moline is in the midst of Phase 2 of its long-range terminal modernization plan, Project Gateway, the largest and most publicly visible phase of the estimated $60-million initiative to modernize the passenger experience.
With an estimated investment of more than $19 million, Phase 2 will open in sections, and will encompass nearly every space travelers encounter from the front entrance up to the security checkpoint entrance, all planned to be done by November-December 2027.
U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen (D-Moline) got a tour of the construction area Friday, Oct. 16, and met with some IBEW workers, reinforcing the importance of the project as IMPACT, with union workers.
“Phase 1 has changed how we look at the ticketing area. Phase 2 is really coming along to the point where now the public is going to see it in months, not years — months,” he said. “Seeing where you're going to be able to have that friendly environment to get into the TSA, But then also when you come out, reimagine what the baggage claim area is going to look like. Reimagine what the restaurant is going to be. And I'm hearing that there's going to be some really good quality food here.”
This project includes an IMPACT construction agreement, meaning that the region’s most skilled trade partners will work alongside general contractor Estes Construction. “IMPACT Agreements promote field collaboration with the most well-trained local labor force and drive quality, schedule and safety on the job site,” Estes CEO Kent Pilcher has said.
“Estes was founded right here in the Quad Cities over 50 years ago, and we believe strongly in advancing regional priorities forward. We’re grateful for the opportunity to be the construction partner for such an impactful regional project and for the opportunity to bring many local skilled trade partners along with us.”
Architectural design for the project is being led by aviation industry leaders Mead & Hunt, based in Wisconsin.
“Looking at how gift shops are going to move. There's going to be a water feature. There's going to be new terrazzo tile,” Sorensen marveled at the plans. “It is all to make things inviting to people, not just for those of us who are Quad Citizens, but those who are coming to the Quad Cities for the very first time. They're going to see something completely different. But then also as the member of Congress, it's talking the folks who are doing the labor.
“We've got union labor,” he said. “What does that mean when we have union labor? It means every dollar that we get back here at home, it's not just money, it's people's salaries. And so it is supporting working people, supporting our unions, because they're going to do the best work for us.”
Project 2 funding will use approximately $3.3 million which was awarded through the Airport Terminal Program of the FAA, a competitive process, and just over $5 million through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which is formula-based.
In Project 1, which has been completed, the baggage carousel in the bag makeup building was built, as well as the take-back belt behind the ticketing counters which feeds into TSA screening and then out onto the carousel, and the refreshed, updated ticketing counters.
The first phase (done in April 2025) employed 15 total subcontractors/suppliers, 11 from the Quad City area. The work was funded at $9 million and of that, $6,460,094 went to local QC area contractors/suppliers. In the first phase, 25,445 labor hours were done by QC area trades.
The second phase reimagines the airport’s interior with upgraded finishes, enhanced amenities and a more intuitive, comfortable travel experience. Improvements include new lounge and seating areas, expanded restrooms designed to exceed ADA standards, nursing mothers’ suites, companion care restrooms and a new water feature. Restrooms will also be added to the baggage claim area.
Travelers will benefit from a reconfigured gift shop and restaurant designed to better meet modern expectations, with a focus on quick, healthy, and grab-and-go options.
Additionally, the project will introduce an outdoor lounge space and replace the airport’s original brown brick flooring in ticketing and circulation areas with terrazzo, creating a brighter, more contemporary look throughout the terminal.
By December, part of the mew terrazzo floor, restrooms, a nursing mothers’ area and a new part of baggage claim should be done.
“The purpose of today's visit was to give Congressman Sorensen a look behind the scenes and be able to meet with some of our local laborers on site,” said Ashleigh Johnston, the airport’s marketing manager. “So committing to local labor has been a big priority for both Phase 1 and Phase 2 of this entire project that's taking place over the next several years. And in fact, for Project 1, 96% of the labor was done by local workers. So being able to reinvest those dollars, whether it's airport money, federal money, right back into the Quad Cities is really important.”
“We finally have some of the spaces framed out. Before, it was just demo,” she said of demolished areas prepared for new construction. “There was just wide open cavernous spaces that were going to be completely restructured to fit modern travelers' needs. So it was just to give him an opportunity to meet with our local teams and to see what's taking shape back there.”
Modernizing a 1985-era terminal
Originally constructed more than 40 years ago, the airport terminal predates both TSA security requirements and the widespread use of rollaboard luggage. Phase 2 addresses these evolving needs while positioning the airport for decades of future growth.
“This is more than a construction project. It’s a statement about who we are as a region and where we’re going,” airport executive director Ben Leischner has said. “For many visitors, the airport is their first impression of the Quad Cities. Phase 2 of Project Gateway ensures that impression reflects a community that is forward-thinking, welcoming and committed to providing a high-quality experience for travelers and residents alike. The positive impact of this investment will be felt across the entire region.”
Expanding and improving the TSA security area will be the third of four phases of Project Gateway, Johnston said. Depending on design and funding, Phase 3 may start around December 2027, she noted.
“Phase 3 will include a widening of the TSA checkpoint. Really, that when you're exiting from the gates back out to baggage claim, it's now a really narrow hallway and it's a pretty big choke point,” she said. “And that's where the TSA checkpoint is. adding a little bit of space to that, and that will give us actually enough room to add some TSA offices back there.
"That part of the terminal was finished in 2001, that backside, so really just as TSA was being created. So a lot of that space had to be retrofitted to meet new security standards that weren't in place when they originally designed that back half of the terminal.”
“One of the things that I was surprised in our visit was all of the work that's being done behind the walls that you can't see,” Sorensen said, noting new areas done first will open in December. “That’s when they're going to work on that next piece. to be done completely by next year to get Phase 2 done. Also, another thing that I'm really, really proud to see is that the Quad City Arts will still be on display,” he said of the rotating airport gallery.
“Gallery space to showcase local art, because that's something that is unique to this airport that doesn't exist anywhere else,” the Congressman said. “When you talk about how you put your best foot forward. You know, this is the welcome spot for the Quad Cities for thousands of people. They don't just get to see the famous John Deere (sculpture) that's out in the terminal. They get to see what our artists are doing, the Quad City Arts.
"And then in the forefront, right in the very center of the building, is the Monocoupe (Velie airplane). To be able to see an airplane that was assembled and flown here in Moline," Sorensen said. "It really shows like the progress from the past to the present to the future.”
“I think the cool thing about how the space is being reimagined is that it's going to open that space up a little bit. So the cafe is going to be where the gift shop previously was,” Johnston noted. “The gift shop will be on the back side, but there's going to be new lounge areas and a much more open core that I think will maybe even showcase that space even better. So you have to walk past it to get to TSA already, but I think it's going to look a lot more intentional and a lot more inviting once the whole core of the airport is opened up to that and you have a lot more natural light coming through to those spaces.”
There will be a raised ceiling and very large glass windows, and the 1928 Monocoupe will face out toward the parking lot, with a 30-foot video wall behind it inside. It will be used for ads, airport messaging, an all-purpose terminal announcement board, Johnson said. “It could be clouds behind the Monocoupe if we have nothing going on,” she said.
“We're going to have to compete with airports around the United States, but then also if we're going to attract new business, if we're going to attract new students to the colleges here, and visitors who are going to be part of our tourism economy, we've got to make sure that we have that world-class airport,” Sorensen said. “And it is exceeding the expectations of what people think is possible here in the Quad Cities.”
For more information, visit www.qcairport.com/project-gateway/.
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