Skip to content 
Idaho’s Boise Airport has selected Hensel Phelps as construction manager/general contractor for a $700-million package of terminal projects scheduled to run through 2029, aiming to keep pace with record passenger growth that has surged 81% over the past decade.
The Boise City Council approved the CM/GC contract Aug. 19; the airport announced the selection Sept. 3.
The project, part of the airport’s multiyear “BOI Upgrade” capital program launched in 2019, focuses on building a new Concourse A with up to 10 additional gates, a significantly expanded back-of-house baggage handling system, and a new central utility plant to support the concourse and current terminal.
Two phases of terminal enhancements will also reconfigure passenger flows and add capacity. Under the city’s not-to-exceed (NTE) framework, the program will advance through multiple guaranteed maximum price packages returned to the council for approval. No local taxpayer dollars are slated for either capital or operations, the city said.
Fentress Architects is leading program design under a city-approved professional services contract set at an NTE of $42.465 million for up to six years. Local firms ZGA Architects, Cator Ruma and The Land Group joined the Fentress team for architecture/permitting, MEP planning and civil/landscape support, respectively, the airport said.
Jacobs is providing owner’s representative services to augment airport staff on program management and delivery, according to a November 2024 airport commission report. The same report details ongoing enabling work and early funding steps for the concourse effort.
Idaho: Go-To Destination
Demand drivers remain pronounced; Boise set a record with 4,990,885 total passengers in 2024—up 5% from 2023—pushing facilities beyond right-sized capacity on peak days, the airport reported. The airport reiterated the decade-long growth figure (2014-2024) in a Feb. 5 update outlining the BOI Upgrade roadmap. Airport authorities anticipate that Concourse A construction will commence following apron work and ramp packages sometime in 2027.
Boise Airport’s increased traffic over the past decade is driving the multi-million-dollar expansion to increase capacity and upgrade facilities.
The study includes an inventory of existing conditions, aviation forecasts, facility requirements, environmental and financial feasibility reviews, as well as a security vulnerability assessment and land use analysis.
According to the airport, “stakeholder engagement will include technical advisory and working group consultations, along with three public meetings scheduled later in the study; these public open houses are an opportunity to keep key stakeholders and the public informed and to gather valuable feedback on the plan’s progress.”
Funding will draw on airport-generated revenues and aviation financing tools rather than local property taxes, consistent with the city’s Sept. 3 announcement. Elements include a $9-million FAA Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Airport Terminal Program grant earmarked to procure long-lead passenger-boarding bridges and related ground-service equipment for Concourse A. The scheme also affirmed investment-grade ratings on existing airport revenue bonds, positioning the airport for additional capital issuance.
Hensel Phelps’ CM/GC role will emphasize constructability, phasing and cost control in an operating terminal, the city said. The NTE contract structure allows the airport to sequence work as funding is secured, and priorities evolve across baggage, utility and concourse packages.
Boise is served by nine airlines with 27 nonstop destinations and reports more than $2.9 billion in annual economic impact regionally, according to the airport.
ENR requested additional details on anticipated GMP timing, phasing milestones and subcontracting opportunities from Hense Phelps; the company declined the request.
