The San Diego County Regional Airport Authority (SDCRAA), which owns and manages San Diego International Airport (SAN), and eight other smaller facilities, held a press briefing yesterday, Thursday, March 11, at their administrative offices in the Commuter Terminal's third floor conference room to report on progress of the airport's expansion program, known as the Green Build.
Addressing the media were Authority executives Bryan Enarson, Vice President for Development and Jim Myhers, Manager of Ground Transportation. Following the slide presentation and Q & A, press were conducted on a hard hat tour of the current construction site west of Terminal 2.
According to Enarson, the project originally named the Terminal Development Program or TDP, is now referred to as the Green Build to more accurately reflect revenues to be generated from additional flights, increased concessions, and future growth, all of which currently contribute $10 billion annually to local businesses in the region.
CAPTIONS: (ABOVE LEFT) Green Build site preparationon March 11, 2010 (Photo by Joel Siegfried); (BELOW RIGHT) San Diego Airport Authority spokesperson Katie Jones (Photo by Joel Siegfried); (BELOW LEFT) Artist's rendering of Green Build concessions in Terminal 2 (Image from SDCRAA); (BELOW RIGHT LOWER) Artist's rendering of Green Build Terminal 2 facade (Image by SDCRAA); (BELOW LEFT LOWER) Green Build site preparationon March 11, 2010 (Photo by Joel Siegfried);; (BELOW RIGHT BOTTOM) SDCRAA staff members L to R Bryan Enarson, Jim Myhers, and San Diego Business Journal Senior Staff Writer Mike Allen (Photo by Joel Siegfried); (BELOW LEFT BOTTOM) Map of San Diego Airport parking (Image from SDCRAA)
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In addition, "green" also refers to environmental awareness and features to conserve water and reduce power consumption, make use of alternate energy sources, untilize recycling, and receive LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver Certification, a Green Building Rating System, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
The Green Build provides for 10 additional gates to be added to the west end of Terminal 2, increasing the airport's total number of gates from a current 41 to 51 (gate 19 has become non-operational as a result of the construction); separate arrival and departure level roadways; enhanced state of the art concessions drawing on regional businesses for dining, news, and retail merchandising along a 300 foot north by west corridor; "Smart Curb" baggage check and boarding pass issuance, enhanced and protected by a tensile fabric structure similar to the ship's sails effect used at the San Diego Convention Center; expansion of TSA security lanes from 6 to 12; relocation of rental car concessions to the north end of the airport along Pacific Highway; and incorporation of an intermodal transportation center which is still being fine tuned.
Terminal 2 will be expanded to 700,000 square feet. At the peak of construction, it is expected to generate 1,000 jobs, and provide a major stimulus to the region's economy. The Green Build is due to be completed in 2013. Terminal 2 was originally opened in July 1979 and expanded in 1998 to 300,000 square feet, with design provisions made for future growth.
The expansion project, which is pegged to cost $865 million, plus an additional $200 million for
interest on a performance bond, which brings the price tag to just over 1 billion dollars. It will be financed typically by a 30 year construction note issued by the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority with principal and interest amortized over the life of the term, and backed by revenues generated by airport operations, and partially by existing Passenger Facility Charges (PFC). The bond itself has not yet been issued, nor has an interest rate been determined.
The Green Build was originally proposed as part of a 1998 master plan. According to Enarson, a long lead time between planning and implementation is not unusual for such a major project. It is expected to meet current and future transportation demands at SAN, accommodate expected passenger growth of 4 million additional travelers by 2020, improve the passenger experience, and meet the needs of the region's economy and vital industries, including technology, life sciences, and tourism.
Since ground breaking in August 2009, the construction site west of Terminal 2 has been undergoing grading, debris removal of waste materials formerly belonging to the Naval Training Center, which used the area as a dump site, relocation of the California Least Tern, an endangered species, and soil compacting and preparation. A 1,700 foot long 40 year old sewer pipe which carries 60% of the City's sewerage to a waste disposal treatment facility at the south end of Point Loma had to be relined and strengthened to support additional load bearing of taxiing aircraft. Touring the construction site showed major earthmoving efforts and leveling are still in progress.
Jim Myhers stated that disruptions due to the construction will occur. These include the temporary loss
of some 380 parking spaces in Terminal 2, closure of a connecting pedestrian and vehicle tunnel between Terminal 1 and 2 parking areas, and removal of skyway pedestrian overpasses at the east and west ends of Terminal 2. Travelers will still be able to cross the roadway at the middle of Terminal 2 during the absence of these bridges.
A construction timeline follows:
2009 – Construction began on apron improvements, additional aircraft parking and new USO facilities.
March 2010 – Terminal and dual-level roadway construction begins; portion of Terminal 2 parking relocated, Terminal 2 pedestrian bridges closed; frequent shuttles transport passengers to terminal.
August 2010 – All of Terminal 2 parking relocated; frequent shuttles transport passengers to terminal.
2011-2012 – Terminal and dual-level roadway construction continues.
Early 2013 – New gates, facilities and roadway improvements open to the public.
There are a number of ways for the public to keep informed of any construction delays or inconveniences. Owners of small businesses may register at san.org/business for concession and other opportunities. The general public can sign up for e-elerts. Additional information is available at San Diego International Airport's Facebook and Twitter accounts, by calling the construction hotline at 619-400-2288, or by emailing questions to greenbuild@san.org.
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Comments
Wow, the expansion looks amazing.
:)
Good to see you back to San Diego from Ethiopia- love hearing about the goings on in SD.
Great article about San Diego Airport expansion.
Great expansion review, Joel. The lady in the blue hardhat worries me, somehow...good read.
Cheers..
We recently opened our new terminal here in San Jose, and it was WELL worth the wait and the construction hassle. It's FABU. (Actually, I'm pretty sure the construction hassle will continue FOREVER until the end of time... it's been constant since I moved here 10 years ago.) SD Airport seems overdue for an upgrade... that's not a complaint. I've had only good experiences there, but it seems a bit dated for CA's second-largest city.
Joel, thanks for this report. Nice to see they have a green build!
Good report, Joel. Thanks!
Welcome home from Beirut and Addis Ababa. We've missed you. Great LOCAL report on San Diego.
glad to hear of the airport's expansion. must mean things are looking up for the area's economy.
The Airport Authority does not manage 8 other smaller facilities, just Lindbergh. The City of San Diego manages Brown and Montgomery, the rest are owned and operated by the County of San Diego. They are not one in the same. They should operate all of them because they'd be better at it than the City and County, but that's a whole other debate.
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