San Antonio travelers who are tired of circling the airport for a parking spot may finally get some relief. City planners cleared a major hurdle Wednesday for a long‑promised expansion at San Antonio International Airport when the Historic and Design Review Commission signed off on a concept for a new multi‑level parking garage and ground transportation center, as reported by San Antonio Report.
The six‑level structure would sit across from the new Terminal C, add roughly 2,500 to 2,600 vehicle spaces and reserve its top deck to support future electric vertical‑takeoff‑and‑landing operations. The commission’s approval covered conceptual drawings from Marmon Mok with architect Angel Garcia and J.E. Dunn Construction listed as partner, and also cleared demolition of an aircraft hangar to make room for the center, according to the San Antonio Report. That reporting pegs the program’s price tag at roughly $125 million and notes airport officials expect to break ground later in 2026 so the garage opens ahead of the new terminal.
Design and capacity
The city’s Request for Qualifications for the design‑build contract sketches out what the new structure will look like. The parking garage and Ground Transportation Center are planned at about five to six elevated levels and are estimated to accommodate roughly 2,500 vehicles, with about 450 to 500 spaces per level. The RFQ also calls for early civil demolition and foundation work to be bundled as pre‑GMP packages and sets a program ceiling of $125 million while tying the initial contract award to an estimated $110 million cap, according to the City of San Antonio RFQ.
How it fits into the terminal program
The garage and GTC are supporting pieces of the airport’s broader, roughly $2.5 billion Terminal Development Program, which includes a new Terminal C with about 17 gates and a roughly $1.7 billion construction budget, as outlined in the airport’s master plan. Airport officials have said Terminal C is on schedule and on budget, and design teams are finalizing parking plans so landside work can keep pace as the terminal rises, according to the San Antonio Airport master plan.
Budget and passenger context
Parking is one of the airport’s biggest non‑airline money makers, which is one reason the city is so focused on getting this right. The FY2026 budget estimates parking income near $169.3 million, helping underwrite capital projects and debt, according to the San Antonio Report.
Officials are also keeping an eye on how many people are actually flying. January traffic came in around 724,600 travelers, and 2025 saw roughly 10.7 million passengers, a modest dip from 2024’s record year. Those figures are part of the backdrop as the airport pitches the project, according to the same reporting.
Demolition, timeline and local concerns
City planning documents filed with the Office of Historic Preservation spell out demolition of Hangar 4 and other enabling projects needed to clear space for the GTC, and they identify demolition and utility relocations as early work packages, according to the City HDRC application.
Local coverage of the review process noted that some commissioners urged designers to salvage materials from the hangar or at least document its character before it comes down, reflecting ongoing tension between expansion and preservation at the airport. Those concerns were highlighted by the Express-News.
What travelers will notice
For passengers, the most obvious change will not be what is happening on the roof for future aircraft, but what is happening at ground level. Airport leaders say the new garage and GTC will centralize rideshare, taxi and bus pickups, reduce curbside congestion and add modern systems such as a parking access and revenue control system, EV chargers and an advanced guidance system. Briefings have also mentioned ticketless entry and reserved parking options as part of the plan while design teams finalize details, features that are expected to roll out as the landside work wraps up, according to KSAT.
With design approval now in hand, the project moves into procurement and early demolition packages. The coming months will show whether the city and its design‑build partner can keep to the current schedule. If they do, travelers should see a larger, more modern parking footprint and lighter curbside traffic when Terminal C and the new garage open as part of the airport’s multiyear expansion.
