McKINNEY, Texas, July 18, 2025 — Construction has officially begun on McKinney’s new passenger terminal at its regional airport, moving forward despite local controversy, legal challenges, and lingering community opposition.

The new 46,000-square-foot terminal will feature four gates with the capacity to expand to six in the future, along with passenger concessions, a dedicated access road off FM 546, and a 980-space parking lot. According to city officials, the terminal is designed to serve up to 200,000 passengers annually, providing new travel options for residents across North Texas.

At a groundbreaking ceremony last week, McKinney Mayor Bill Cox framed the project as a win for the region’s long-term growth. “This new terminal is not just an investment in McKinney, it’s an investment in the future of North Texas,” Cox said, standing alongside city officials and airport staff.

The city council approved $58 million in construction contracts for the project in May, drawing funding from a mix of sales tax revenue and state and federal grants — including a $7 million grant from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT).

The project remains contentious. In 2023, McKinney voters rejected a $200 million bond proposal that would have funded a larger 16-gate terminal using property tax dollars. Critics argue that the city is ignoring that vote by pushing ahead with the project anyway, albeit with scaled-down funding sources.

Cox, however, maintains the bond vote only rejected the property tax funding mechanism, not the terminal itself. “It’s a more realistic opportunity and it’s funded not by taxpayer dollars, not by the citizens of McKinney,” he said, emphasizing that sales taxes are broadly supported by local commerce and visitors.

Former McKinney Mayor George Fuller backed Cox’s position, pointing to the results of recent city elections as proof of community support for the expansion. “All the opponents that lost ran their campaign on being against the airport, from mayor all the way down,” Fuller said. “So I think the community has spoken loud and clear.”

Despite that claim, organized opposition hasn’t stopped. The North Texas Conservation Association has filed a federal lawsuit challenging TxDOT’s environmental assessment, which found no significant impact from the terminal expansion. The group argues the study fell short of standards under the National Environmental Policy Act, and calls for a more detailed review to protect local habitats, including the Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary.

“There's just a multitude of things that could be done, and we don't think the city has thought through those,” said Steven E. Ross, secretary and general counsel for the conservation group.

City officials, meanwhile, insist the environmental review was thorough and meets federal standards. They plan to “vigorously defend the findings” and push for dismissal of the suit so construction can stay on track.

Once completed, the terminal could shift McKinney’s regional airport from a primarily general aviation hub to a modest commercial passenger option, a move supporters say could ease congestion at larger regional airports while boosting local business and tourism.

For now, heavy machinery and construction crews have begun clearing and grading the site — setting the stage for what may become one of McKinney’s most debated infrastructure investments in years to come.

Originally reported by Caroline Love in Kera News.