City Plans Expansion of Airport Parking

More parking is on the way at the Yakima Air Terminal at McAllister Field. The Yakima City Council on Tuesday is expected to approve a resolution authorizing an agreement with the Washington State Department of Transportation - Aviation Division for a $353,694 loan to expand the Yakima Air Terminal’s main vehicle parking lot. A news release says "between 2013 and March 2020, the City has been successful in growing the airport’s passenger ridership by 31 percent and securing a fourth flight to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.  Additionally, the airport is in the process of conducting a business and passenger survey to identify how to continue this success by adding an additional destination, which will only positively impact the passenger's utilizing the airport."

All that means more vehicles and less parking. City officials say the expansion project will create 130 additional long term vehicle parking stalls northwest of the main terminal building.  This will free up parking in the current parking lot to facilitate short-term parking and car rental parking for more passenger traffic. City officials say the project will produce additional parking lot revenues and will be a dedicated source of funds to repay the loan.
They add although airport revenues have decreased during the Coronavirus pandemic, aviation industry experts forecast the transportation industry will rebound within the next two years restoring airport revenues to further support repayment of the loan.

The Yakima City Council meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at yakimawa.gov