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DES MOINES, Iowa — The Des Moines Airport Authority Board is considering a proposal for a new entertainment resort.

According to the developer, Reggie Sinha, this resort could be exactly what the airport needs to help close the multi-million dollar funding gap for a new terminal.

Sinha this entertainment resort would be located on airport property and have 300 to 350 hotel rooms and more.

“The hotel, the casino, and the dancing water fountain, plus there will be restaurants, there will be banquet facilities for trade shows for instance,” Sinha said.

Sinha said the resort would cost about $225 million to build.

Des Moines International Airport Executive Director Kevin Foley said the Airport Authority Board is looking at every option to help fund their new terminal project.

“The airport is not in the gambling business and have no intentions ourselves of ever getting into the gambling business. However what this plan proposed was basically a land rent where they could put the hotel and casino that would close the 200 million dollar funding gap that we have to build the terminal and that’s the real interest from the airport,” Foley said.

Sinha said the entertainment resort would be located between the parking garage and Fleur Drive and have a skywalk connection to the terminal.

“The building design is feasible. The project is legal we are complying with all the rules regulations and things of the IRGC and as far as the state is concerned we are in compliance with all the legal requirements of the state.”

Foley said the hotel aspect of this project is especially attractive because they know some passengers travel a long distance to fly out of Des Moines.

“The more there is to do the night before the more attractive it is to come in and stay and catch an early morning flight and with allegiant launching those flights I think that that is going to be in higher demand as we get past may and those flights come online,” Foley said.

The Airport Authority Board did not make any decisions regarding the proposal yet. They plan to revisit the topic at their next meeting in February.