The long road of planning, designing and rebuilding Kansas City International Airport into a modern, single-terminal airport took another unexpected detour on Dec. 14, when the city council rejected a memorandum of understanding between the council and chosen developer Edgemoor Infrastructure & Real Estate, Bethesda, Md.
Edgemoor stands to lose its negotiated $1-billion deal, the product of negotiations between the firm and the city's hired legal firm, Husch Blackwell, if a new agreement cannot be reached. By a vote of 9-4, the council rejected the MOU due to concerns over the agreement's vague financial terms, insufficient community benefits and a provision that could pay Edgemoor up to $30 million if the deal never closes.