History

  • History
    WWII Parks
    History

    1929: In the Beginning

    The beginning of St. Louis Downtown Airport’s intricate history consists of name changes, assistance from pioneering airmen of the region, and implementing the structural roots of what is now a leading airfield.

  • History
    History

    The 1930’s: Oliver Parks Enters the Scene

    With help from aviation pioneers including Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart, and a young pilot named Oliver Parks, St. Louis Downtown Airport gains national prominence as a centrally located air field and center for aviation education.

  • History
    Chub Sadie and Earl with Robin 1940s
    History

    The 1940s: A Name Change to Curtiss-Parks Airport

    The airport continues its way through a revolving door of names while the Parks College of Aviation grows, bringing added popularity to the already burgeoning airport.

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    Walston Aviation FBO
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    The 1950s: A Period of Decline

    Financial strain causes the airport to close, though an eventual demand for increased regional air service offers a new opportunity for the downtown airport.

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    Bi-State Parks Airport
    History

    1965: The Rebirth & Bi-State Development

    A new era arrives as Bi-State Development acquires the dormant airport, reopening it as the Bi-State Parks Airport in 1965 as runway expansions begin.

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    St. Louis Downtown Airport Sign
    History

    The ’80s: Embracing “Downtown”

    The St. Louis Downtown Airport name is officially adopted in 1984 to better emphasize the airport’s quick and easy accessibility to downtown St. Louis—a quality that is unmatched by any other airport in the St. Louis region.

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    Bob
    History

    The New Millennium

    A new century brings new opportunities to KCPS in the form of expanded and renovated runways and taxiways, more jobs, and increased professional quality service.

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    OAS Hanger One
    History

    An Era of Expansion

    The St. Louis Downtown Airport continues to meet the new millennium with positive change as its administrative and maintenance offices and runways all experience significant expansion.

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    Cahokia Airport
    History

    Air Traffic Control and Continued Growth

    The growth of KCPS continues with the addition of a state-of-the-art air traffic control tower, an increase in airport jobs, and continuously growing numbers of tenants and onsite businesses.

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    History

    Recognition and Renovation

    KCPS is again recognized for its superior services as its runways continue to expand, a state-of-the-art airport fire station is built, and plans for marketing the airport’s expansive real estate opportunities pave the way for a bright future.

Bi-State Development

St. Louis Downtown Airport is an enterprise of Bi-State Development. BSD is a dynamic and multi-faceted resource for economic development in the St. Louis region. With expertise in planning and implementation, Bi-State Development provides real solutions to regional challenges with efficiency and accountability. With more than six decades of experience building jobs and initiating economic development, BSD continues to transform the St. Louis region for the better.