New $15.55M Customs and Border Protection facility underway at St. Paul airport
Go Deeper.
Create an account or log in to save stories.
Like this?
Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.
Construction is underway for a new U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility at the St. Paul Downtown Airport.
The new facility will replace an existing building currently located within the airport’s administration building. The Metropolitan Airports Commission, which owns and operates the St. Paul Downtown Airport and others in the Twin Cities, said the project aims to improve facilities for international general aviation at the airport and better accommodate its existing travel operations. It’s developing the project in partnership with U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
According to Jeff Lea, a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Airports Commission, the new facility will be located just east of the airport’s administration building – the original terminal – on Bayfield Street at the north end of the property.
Lea said the accepted project bid is $15.55 million for the construction of the facility. But he said there are other costs "including site preparation, design and engineering services, IT systems and contingency funds" that add to the overall budget.
Turn Up Your Support
MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all.
Lea said the new customs facility will replace an “extremely small” existing CBP location and has been designed to meet both CBP and MAC standards for current and future operations.
The 4,800-square-foot building will feature pre- and post-processing waiting areas, a passenger processing space, officer offices, utility rooms, restrooms, and dedicated search and interview rooms.
According to a permit application filed with the city’s Department of Safety and Inspections, the new building is expected to handle roughly 100 to 150 international flights each year, operating for about 200 hours annually.
In a statement to MPR News, Lea said the building will feature a mix of durable and sustainable materials, including cast-in-place concrete and exposed mass timber framing. The design also incorporates a wood roof structure and an intensive green roof of about 1,000 square feet.
Lea said the building is designed to produce more energy than it consumes.
The project also includes new utility connections, sidewalks, native landscaping, decorative metal fencing, and other site improvements. Construction will be completed in phases, with a tentative completion date set for late 2026.
Site work began in 2024, following several years of planning between the MAC and CBP.
According to the Metropolitan Airports Commission, the new customs facility is not being developed to negatively impact current international activity at MSP.
“STP and the MAC’s general aviation airports are meant to relieve operations that may otherwise impact airline and other operations at MSP,” Lea said. “The project is helping to modernize and expand the ability for CBP teams to continue processing international general aviation arrivals at STP for corporate or charter flights.”
In 2024, St. Paul Downtown Airport recorded 42,476 aircraft operations.
