The first phase of Spokane International Airport’s Terminal Remodeling & Expansion, or TREX, project is on schedule and on budget, says Larry Krauter, Spokane International Airport CEO.

The airport broke ground in October on the project’s first phase which is the $150 million, 144,000-square-foot Concourse C expansion.

The general contractor/construction management team consists of Spokane-based Garco Construction Inc. and Sparks, Nevada-based Q&D Construction LLC.

Three new gates will be added to the west side of the concourse, according to project information on the airport’s website. The current ground boarding gates on the east side will be replaced with three passenger loading bridges. The upper gates will be upgraded and the ticket counter will be extended, among other improvements.

While early estimates had put the project cost about 15% lower, Krauter says the more recent $150 million estimate is an “all-in number.”

“That comes from what we call a guaranteed maximum price that’s given to us by the general contractor/construction manager,” says Krauter. “So, it could come in below that, but it’s guaranteed not to cost us more.”

The current phase is expected to be completed in late 2025, assuming there are no interruptions, Krauter says.

According to project information on the airport’s website, the Concourse C expansion is expected to generate nearly 1,200 jobs and over $300 million in economic activity in Washington state.

“The airport is a significant economic engine and a significant force in the community to assist in moving people up the economic ladder by creating more job opportunities,” Krauter says.

Funding for the project comes from a variety of sources, including Federal Aviation Administration grants, bonds, other federal funds, and passenger facility charges, according to the airport’s website. No local tax dollars are being used for the TREX project.

According to the airport’s website, future phases of the TREX project are expected to include construction of a central hall facility, which will have a centralized security checkpoint and a post-security hallway that connects the A, B, and C concourses, as well as a consolidated baggage claim and operations center. Also expected in later phases will be improvements to the A and B concourses and relocation of the airport’s rental car facility.