Milwaukee County officials are seeking federal funding to build an international terminal at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, which would replace long vacant Concourse E at the airport. Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, Milwaukee Tool group president Tim Albrecht, and several other local leaders gathered at a press conference Friday to rally support for the project.
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Tim Albrecht, Milwaukee Tool Group President[/caption]
Mitchell International Airport has only three concourses: C, D and E. Since 2017, Concourse E has been shuttered and inaccessible to the public.
When the international terminal project was originally pitched in 2016, the Milwaukee County Department of Transportation’s Airport Division submitted a preliminary budget request to build it for nearly $42 million. In 2020, the project was projected to cost around $50 million.
“There’s been a lot of inflationary pressures across the board,” said Airport Director Brian Dranzik. “Our estimates are a good $30 million in addition to that. So now, it’s in the $80 million, 80-plus category.”
Many speakers at Friday's press conference remarked about the potential for economic growth if the airport receives sufficient funding for this project. The airport generates roughly $3 billion for the Milwaukee economy supporting nearly 26,000 jobs and making roughly $900 million in earnings, according to Milwaukee County Director of Public Affairs, Emily Tau.
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Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport[/caption]
“This addition would allow us to be a lot more efficient with people’s time, money and experience with Milwaukee Tool,” said Albrecht. “It would allow us to bring people in seamlessly to experience what we’re trying to convey in Milwaukee.”
The project is expected to begin in 2025 if federal funds are dispersed but does not yet have a definitive timeline for completion.
“We have what we feel is a sufficient amount of funds to go forward and cover the project with the additional federal support,” said Dranzik.