Officials with Lambert reached an important milestone today related to the future of the airport.

The majority of airline partners agreed to a third amendment to their lease, which grants $650 million for more projects, including the proposed consolidated terminal design.

“We are pleased that our airline partners have committed to this significant next phase of our airport’s Consolidated Terminal Program,” says Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge, Airport Director of STL, in a press release.

The $650 million will cover the costs of STL’s proposed consolidated terminal full design. It will also allow several more enabling projects that are critical for the potential construction of a consolidated terminal.

These projects include, but are not limited to, the transitional airline gates needed during construction of a consolidated terminal, a new garage design for potential placement across from the proposed consolidated terminal, relocation of various airport service facilities and the cost of a program management team.

Currently, STL is moving forward with projects that were ratified under a separate approval vote last year. Key projects underway are the design of the new central utility plant (CUP), the design of the West Deicing Pad and the design of the airport’s new Airfield Maintenance Facility, which is well underway. STL expects to begin construction on some pieces of these projects in the middle of 2025.