New airport terminal open in Dubuque
The new airport terminal in Dubuque is finally open now.
I went through the terminal yesterday for the open house. It's nice and big, especially compared to the old terminal which was quite cramped. Especially in the sterile area
About 250 people gathered at the $37 million facility Thursday for a ribbon-cutting and grand-opening ceremony.
“The old terminal was a bit like ... the old sofa in your parents’ den,” said John Mark Nickels. “It needs to be thrown out. It’s getting a little mothballed. (The new terminal) definitely makes Dubuque feel more like a legitimate city.”
The 35,615-square-foot terminal debuted six months ahead of schedule and about $3 million under budget. While the building was substantially completed, the terminal sat empty for about a year while airport officials awaited Federal Aviation Administration grant funds to build an entryway, access road and parking lot.
Three times bigger than the old facility, the terminal is designed to give passengers a more comfortable experience, Airport Manager Robert Grierson said. Features like counter space for additional airlines and more security lanes allow for future growth, he said.
And of course if you go down to the comments section the teabillies are whining away. As usual. Which makes me like the new terminal even more. I suppose none of those geniuses in the comments section have ever flown out of DBQ like I have.