[LoneStarMike]

Airport’s parking garage debuts ahead of schedule, under budget
Friday, August 8, 2008
San Antonio Business Journal - by Tamarind Phinisee

San Antonio International Airport officials have completed construction of a new 3,000-space parking garage four months ahead of schedule and more than $5 million under budget.

The parking garage had originally been slated for completion in December of this year at a cost of $50.8 million.

However, Mark Webb, aviation director for the city of San Antonio, says through the efforts and cooperation of San Antonio-based based contractor Bartlett Cocke, Detroit-based contractor Walbridge and Kansas City, Mo.-based national transportation infrastructure firm HNTB, the project was completed last month at a final price tag of $45.4 million.

“The new long-term garage is the first of three major projects within the overall expansion program at the airport. To see the first project come in early and under budget gives us an incredible amount of energy as we head into the roadway work and the new terminal facility,” says Webb, who oversees the San Antonio International Airport’s personnel and operations. “It tells us that we’re on the right track and that as we move forward, anything is possible when everyone is working together and focused on the same goals.”

Randy Pawelek, president and CEO of Bartlett Cocke, agrees.

“We’re really excited about the project. Our joint venture with Walbridge out of Detroit and then just the good relationships with the designers, the engineers, the staff at the airport — all working in tandem — produced a good project,” Pawelek says.

Pawelek says when the project was originally put out for pricing, it became clear that it would go over budget. But his company was able to work with the other contractors and design team to redesign the garage, save time and control costs — despite record amounts of rainfall during the third quarter of last year.

The completion of the new parking garage almost doubles the available long-term parking at the airport, increasing it to 6,600 spaces.

Prior to this, the airport had 3,800 long-term parking spaces. Webb says the parking garage allows the airport to better serve its customers needs as well as return revenue back to other airport construction and maintenance projects.

More to come

The new garage is just one of three projects currently underway at the airport as part of its 10-year, $635 million capital improvement project.

Now that the garage has been completed, Webb says the airport will focus on completion of the new roadway and the new terminal — Terminal B.

Terminal B, which replace Terminal Two, will be approximately 223,000 square feet and cost an estimated $134.8 million to develop.

Construction on Terminal B began in June of this year and is expected to be completed in June 2010. Construction is also underway on an expansion of the airport’s two-tier roadway system that currently services only Terminal One. The expansion will extend the roadway to the new Terminal B as well to the future Terminal C — not yet under construction.

The roadway expansion is expected to be completed around February 2010. Costs are estimated at $41.3 million.

The money for the construction costs, says airport spokesman David Hebert, is coming from airport-generated funds.

“None of it involves taxpayer dollars or city of San Antonio funds,” Hebert stresses.

Aside from these projects, more upgrades are on the horizons, including the Terminal C project, which will encompass 176,000 square feet and feature five gates and the capability of expanding to 11 gates. The groundbreaking for Terminal C is planned for 2010 and is set to be completed in 2012. Construction on Terminal C could start earlier that scheduled, however, impacting the completion date.

Webb says travelers will notice daily changes and improvements at the airport as construction on the next two projects moves forward. He asks that travelers be patient with the airport as it continues with its expansion, which will eventually make flying more convenient for passengers.

“Much of what we’ve seen so far has been prep work. Now we’re getting to stage where people will be able to see for themselves exactly what’s being built here at the airport,” he says. “Columns, walls and ceilings are actually going to be taking shape, and the daily change is going to be very dramatic.”

It's not everyday you see projects finished ahead of schedule and under budget. Great news for San Antonio International Airport.