The expansion project includes 10 new jet gates and passenger waiting areas, a ‘smart curb’, which will allow passengers to check in, print boarding passes and check in baggage before walking in the door. A dual-level roadway that will separate arriving and departing passengers will also be constructed. A total of 12 security lanes will also be constructed. The concession area will be expanded for shopping and dining. There will also be a glass- enclosed waiting area of around 300 feet long and two and half stories high. The project also has many energy saving and sustainable features.
The plan is to maintain the same total number of parking spaces once the project is all done. Around 1,300 parking spots at the terminal will be eliminated in phases starting in June 2010 and would be completely gone by 2011.
The construction cost is tabbed at $865 million, but with financing costs of about $200 million, the total price is more than $1 billion. Much of the amount will be raised through a planned bond offering in 2011. To fund the initial stages, the airport is borrowing money by issuing commercial paper at bargain basement rates.
