More than 150 people toured the new Ray LaHood International Terminal at the Peoria International Airport Monday.
It was an opportunity to see the $11 million facility before it’s commissioned. The two-story, 21,000 square foot structure includes full-service Customs and Border Protections capacity as well as two additional gates for domestic or international travel.
Gene Olson is the Director of Airports. He says the main level will be used for Customs and the second story terminal will initially be used to keep all the airlines in operation while they replace old pavement.
“If you look at gate four as kind of the dividing line, all of the pavement west of gate four is new. All of the pavement east of gate four is old and in bad shape, all the way over to Byerly," Olson said. "So we are, over the next couple of years, going to tear up all of that pavement and replace it.”
Olson says they will also spend that time considering how to pay for the upfront cost for a Customs staff.
It’s estimated to be about a million dollars a year to employ six customs agents. Olson says the first International flights the airport will likely attract are Mexico and the Caribbean.