The Board of Directors for Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is expected to give its final OK early next year to start the first half of construction on the rebuilding of New York’s LaGuardia Airport.
On Monday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, with Vice President Joe Biden at his side, unveiled the airport’s comprehensive redesign, devised by a panel of architects, engineers, planners, and lawmakers that was chaired by Dan Tishman, vice chairman of AECOM Technology and chairman and CEO of Tishman Realty and Construction.
The panel’s report is an amalgam of the top design submissions presented by New York-based Dattner Architects, PRESENT Architecture, and SHoP Architects. It was not clear, though, whether any of these firms will end up being the designer on this project.
The panel’s vision calls for transforming the 76-year-old airport into a unified, single terminal with transportation access.
The plan would alleviate vehicular congestion that continues to plague this airport, which served nearly 27 million passengers in 2014.
The first half of this project, which is projected to cost between $3.6 billion and $4 billion, is expected to take 18 months to complete and be open to passengers in 2019.
The second half of the new unified terminal would be executed by Delta Air Lines, whose plans to redevelop its terminals are expected to follow the same timeline as the first half of the construction.
LaGuardia, which once fancied itself as “the air gateway to America,” has deteriorated into one of the country’s most dilapidated and overburdened major airports. Its redesign would include the following:
• Demolish Terminal B—the 50-year-old Central Terminal—and thoroughly redevelop Terminals C and D to build a unified airport terminal to form a complete, efficient, and appealing experience for passengers;
• Build the new unified terminal 600 feet closer to the Grand Central Parkway coupled with an island-gate system that will create nearly two miles additional aircraft taxiways for better aircraft circulation and reduce gate delays that are frustrating for passengers and expensive for airlines;
• Appealing and significant terminal architecture with high ceilings, expansive natural lighting, and openness, designed so passengers intuitively understand the airport’s layout; automated tram to provide passengers with easier movement between the airport’s terminals;
• Business and conference center capabilities to meet the needs of the business traveler and local businesses;
• A sustainable and resilient airport that minimizes energy consumption, reduces harmful emissions, and protects critical infrastructure to keep the airport operational during a flood event;
• A design that accommodates a potential hotel, as well as future growth at the airport; and
• A Marine Air Terminal that is better integrated with the main airport via an automated tram or some other form of reliable and convenient mode of transportation.
The airport would also be designed to accommodate a future AirTrain that would bring passengers and visitors to a subway station in Queens. Ferry service to the Marine Air Terminal and, if feasible, to the east end of the airport, could be available. And improved road configuration would reduce congestion on the surrounding roadway network, including the Grand Central Parkway.
To assure accountability and progress of this project, the city is retaining a Master Planning firm (which it did not identify) to advise the Port Authority and the Governor, to translate the panel’s recommendations into an implementable master plan, and to coordinate airport development for the long-term. The Port Authority will establish a board committee to oversee airport development and implementation of the master plan.
The project is being financed and executed through a public-private partnership with LaGuardia Gateway Partners, a consortium that includes the giant contractor Skanska. It is projected to create 8,000 direct jobs and 10,000 indirect jobs.
Related Stories
| Oct 18, 2013
Researchers discover tension-fusing properties of metal
When a group of MIT researchers recently discovered that stress can cause metal alloy to fuse rather than break apart, they assumed it must be a mistake. It wasn't. The surprising finding could lead to self-healing materials that repair early damage before it has a chance to spread.
| Sep 30, 2013
Smart building systems key to new Wisconsin general aviation terminal’s net zero target
The Outagamie County Regional Airport’s new 8,000 sf general aviation terminal was designed to achieve net zero.
| Sep 19, 2013
What we can learn from the world’s greenest buildings
Renowned green building author, Jerry Yudelson, offers five valuable lessons for designers, contractors, and building owners, based on a study of 55 high-performance projects from around the world.
| Sep 19, 2013
6 emerging energy-management glazing technologies
Phase-change materials, electrochromic glass, and building-integrated PVs are among the breakthrough glazing technologies that are taking energy performance to a new level.
| Sep 11, 2013
BUILDINGChicago eShow Daily – Day 3 coverage
Day 3 coverage of the BUILDINGChicago/Greening the Heartland conference and expo, taking place this week at the Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza.
| Sep 10, 2013
BUILDINGChicago eShow Daily – Day 2 coverage
The BD+C editorial team brings you this real-time coverage of day 2 of the BUILDINGChicago/Greening the Heartland conference and expo taking place this week at the Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza.
| Aug 30, 2013
Local Government Report [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Building Design+Construction's rankings of the nation's largest local government design and construction firms, as reported in the 2013 Giants 300 Report.
| Aug 30, 2013
State Government Report [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Stantec, Jacobs, PCL Construction among nation's top state government design and construction firms, according to BD+C's 2013 Giants 300 Report.
| Aug 28, 2013
Federal Government Report [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Building Design+Construction's rankings of the nation's largest federal government design and construction firms, as reported in the 2013 Giants 300 Report.
| Aug 26, 2013
What you missed last week: Architecture billings up again; record year for hotel renovations; nation's most expensive real estate markets
BD+C's roundup of the top construction market news for the week of August 18 includes the latest architecture billings index from AIA and a BOMA study on the nation's most and least expensive commercial real estate markets.
