Lifting the Passenger Experience
As Iowa's largest airport, we aim to curate a travel journey that is convenient, efficient, and enjoyable. As the number of people flying in and out of Iowa increases, the Des Moines International Airport needs a new terminal to accommodate the growth. Lift DSM culminates with constructing a new terminal, allowing us to plan for Iowa's future by improving the travel experience with modern amenities, technologies, and wayfinding.
The Need
The Des Moines International Airport's most recent terminal area forecast (TAF) predicts 5 million passengers will use the airport facilities by 2042. The existing terminal building cannot adequately process that volume of passengers. The Airport Authority has worked relentlessly to maintain a pleasant passenger experience, but the current facilities are not equipped to handle sustained growth. Several operational priorities are measured to determine the quality of service the airport provides to meet the travel needs of Iowa. These priority facilities include gates, ticketing, security, baggage outbound, baggage inbound, holdrooms and concessions, and restrooms.
The new terminal will address these priority facilities ensuring we can meet the growing air travel demand for our region and remain the gateway to Iowa. The master plan includes a new terminal (Phase 1A) with the ability to expand through the implementation of two additional phases (Phase 1B and Phase 1C). The Des Moines Airport Authority is committed to creating a passenger experience that is good for both the travelers of today and for those in the future.
Lift DSM: Passenger Experience Projects
| Parking Garage Expansion |
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To meet the airport parking demands, a new parking garage will be erected starting in the spring of 2023 through 2024 with the anticipated opening date of the garage to be in late 2024. The new parking garage will be connected to the existing garage and will boast over 1,100 parking stalls.
Schematic design began in 2022, was completed in February 2023, and was conducted by Bolton & Menk/Walker Consultants. The project was bid on in March 2023 and awarded in April 2023 to Weitz for construction. The new parking garage will eventually connect to the future terminal through a pedestrian walkway.
Construction will decrease the number of available parking stalls in the current hourly and long-term parking lot temporarily; however, ample parking is available onsite with the other DSM parking lots. In addition to the parking that exists today, the Board will review plans to add an additional 750 spots to the Grey Lot in 2023 which would be available for use in late fall of that year.
Travelers are encouraged to visit the parking page to view real-time parking availability and parking lot maps to ensure easy access to their parking lot of choice.
Benefits to Travelers: The parking garage expansion project will provide much-needed covered parking. The new garage will sit directly north of the existing garage offering close parking options to both the existing facility and the new terminal.
Project Location: Expansion directly north of the existing parking ramp where the hourly surface lot resides.
Construction Start: Spring 2023.
Project Partners: Bolton & Menk, Walker Consultants, Fansworth, IMEG, IP Design, Terracon.
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