As The McKinney National Airport Sees Sky High Growth, Here's An Update On Planned Construction Projects | McKinney Courier-Gazette

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Work is underway to complete a new FBO terminal at the McKinney National Airport.

The activity humming near the runway can be heard up in McKinney National Airport Director Ken Carley’s office.

Through the windows, it’s normal to look up and see a plane taking off in the distance every few minutes.

Behind Carley’s desk, on an easel, there sits the master plan for the airport, outlining years of short-range and long-range projects that will shape the future of what he says is an economic engine for McKinney.

“I like to say we want to become whatever the community wants us to become,” Carley said of the vision for the airport. “We’re definitely in a high-growth mode right now.”

Currently, the vision is to accommodate that growth, he said.

“From my standpoint, we want to maximize the resource that we have for the region,” he said. “The land that we have available to develop is a finite resource, there’s only so much of it.”

There are about 40 acres of land left on the west side of the airport to develop, Carley said.

“Sooner rather than later I think we’re going to be on the east side of the airport with projects too, because this land will, it’ll build out, and we’ll start to look at development over there.”

For now, here’s a look at some of the current projects that are taking shape at the McKinney National Airport.

The airport is in the early phases of developing a project that will bring a 40,000-square-foot hangar with office space.

In a July 14 interview, Carley said the airport was in the midst of working through a pre-development agreement with a contractor.

The project comes as the airport sees a demand for hangar space that it currently can’t meet.

“So hangars for us are a significant revenue stream, and there’s a lot of demand in the region for hangars,” Carley said. “So today we’re full. We’re kind of maxed out on all of our hangar space, both hangar and office space, so we want to construct another 40,000 square-foot hangar that would have office space in it as well.”

The first phase of work on a 1,500-foot runway expansion will likely begin before the end of the year, Carley said.

Plans are underway to stretch the airport’s current runway from 7,000 feet to 8,500 feet in a move that Carley said will “really set the stage for development well into the future.”

“Basically what that allows us to do is it allows aircraft to leave here and fly nonstop to longer stage lengths,” Carley said, “so nonstop out of here, for example, to Europe or Asia, where today, the runway length can prohibit that because it reduces the amount of fuel that they can depart with. So heavier fuel load means longer runway take for some of these larger corporate aircraft.”

The project will be done in phases, Carley said.

The airport will soon have a new “main entrance to McKinney, TX” once construction on a forthcoming FBO terminal is complete.

The building will serve as a “replacement building” for the current FBO and will provide expanded lobby space, meeting space and administrative office space, as well as an expansive view of the runway. The building design uses regional limestone and wood clad ceilings with a modern take that will provide “an aesthetic that will set the tone for the future developments in the McKinney Air Center,” according to the CaCo Architecture website.

The new building will also provide more space for passenger seating, crew amenities and other activities, Carley said.

The move will open up the currently occupied building for other entities who have expressed interest in the office space, Carley said.

“So we actually have all the space that we’re going to vacate, at least in terms of the office areas, committed to other tenants, so we’ll actually have some additional lease revenue that’s coming out of here as we move into that building,” he said.

Other projects in the pipeline include drainage improvements and safety area improvements on the airfield. While the projects aren’t necessarily glamorous, Carley said, they are a high priority from a safety standpoint. One of those projects is slated to begin this year.

The airport is also looking to construct a standalone customs facility as well as an airfield maintenance building, and ground is expected to break soon on a maintenance and repair facility for Cirrus Aircraft, who leases hangar space with the airport.

“They’re busting at the seams and they really just need their own facility,” Carley said. “So that’s another project that’s kind of getting ready to break ground.”

Audrey Henvey is the reporter for the Frisco Enterprise, McKinney Courier-Gazette and Celina Record. Email her with story suggestions at ahenvey@starlocalmedia.com.

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