Source: Hoodline (citing Axios) — Published September 8, 2026, updated September 13, 2026
Colorado Springs Airport has completed a three-year, $63 million overhaul of its 12-gate concourse, funded through airport revenue and federal money — including $27.5 million from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and multiple FAA Airport Infrastructure Grants ($6M in 2023, $8M in 2024, $5.9M in 2025) — without using local tax dollars. The project, known internally as ElevateCOS, was the concourse’s first major update since the terminal opened in 1994, and included new signage, accessible seating, energy-efficient windows, a hearing-loop PA system, and a Federal Inspection Services facility that enabled the airport’s first international route (seasonal Cancun service via Southwest). New dining additions include Einstein Bros. Bagels, Smashburger, and a local brewery, and the airport is now nominated for USA Today’s Best Small Airport award.
Why it matters: It’s a concrete, replicable model for Colorado’s mid-size airports of layering BIL/IIJA and AIP federal grants with airport revenue to fund major terminal work without local tax increases — directly relevant to any CAOA member airport weighing a similar capital project.