KANSAS CITY, MO. — The Kansas City Aviation Department has selected Airside Innovation Missouri LLC, a joint venture between Kansas City natives Kyle Eiserer of Airside FBO and Erik Murray of Eastside Innovation, to develop the last 20 acres of available land at the Kansas City Downtown Airport – Wheeler Field. The $55 million development will include a new fixed base operation (FBO) led by Kansas City-based Apex Aero Center with a 15,000-square-foot terminal building and more than 150,000 square feet of new hangar, office and shop space designed to serve business, government and general aviation users. FBOs are often the first point of contact for visitors arriving by air.
Known as Project Lima, the development was selected through a request for proposals process and received unanimous approval from the Kansas City Council in September. The developers executed a long-term lease on the property last month. The project will also include the expansion of Red Tail Academy, a Kansas City-based nonprofit focused on educating and mentoring underrepresented youth in aviation.
The broader project team includes Crossroads Real Estate Group, WSKF Architects, TREKK Design Group, Bob D Campbell & Co., FSC Inc., LM2 Construction, McCownGordon Construction and AvAirPros. Completion is slated for early to mid-2027. The developer has secured local debt and equity financing commitments and completed initial site diligence and preconstruction activities. Groundbreaking is planned for as soon as final permitting and regulatory approvals are obtained in 2026.