Airport launches giant expansion project--Sacramento

[urban_encounter]

Airport launches giant expansion project (Sacramento)
By Tony Bizjak - [email protected]
Published 12:00 am PDT Friday, June 20, 2008
Story appeared in METRO section, Page B1


After eight years of planning, Sacramento officials on Thursday ceremoniously launched what they say may be the county's biggest project ever – a $1.27 billion expansion of Sacramento International Airport.

"This is going to be a fabulous front door" to the Sacramento region, airport executive Terry Schutten said during a groundbreaking event at the airport's Terminal B parking lot. After eight years of planning, crews begin preliminary work next month on a four-story, steel-and-glass terminal to replace undersized and outmoded Terminal B.

Airport director Hardy Acree said the expansion will establish the Natomas facility as the "airport of choice" for Northern California.
The project will be paid for by airport revenues, including airline fees and rents, parking fees, concession rents and passenger ticket surcharges. Airlines have criticized the project as too large and expensive, and complain the timing is bad. The airline industry is reeling from skyrocketing gas prices. In response, airlines have increased ticket prices and baggage fees and are reducing flights nationally, including some in and out of Sacramento.

But Sacramento County officials say the expansion is appropriate for a region expected to grow substantially in coming decades. "You have to look forward 20 years," said Jimmie Yee, chairman of the county Board of Supervisors. "You can't build a major project in the context of this month's news; you have to build in the context of decades," Supervisor Roger Dickinson added.

At the end of July, the on-site Host Airport Hotel will be closed and demolished to make room for the new terminal. Both terminals A and B will remain open throughout construction. Some airport roads will be redirected next month to make room for the project, officials said. Crews will begin building new airplane parking spots early next month to replace space that will be eliminated when a new concourse is constructed.

The new terminal, which will house a mid-rise hotel, should be under construction by the end of the year.
The new terminal is projected to open at the end of 2011. The existing Terminal B then will be torn down.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85Rmpf1_Wj8
Corgan Presentation Video
























(All renderings from Corgan Associates)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85Rmpf1_Wj8
Corgan Presentation Video

Current Configuration:


Planned Configuration:




Phase I project at a glance

- Three Public Level Arrivals / Departures Terminal
- 19-Gate Airside Concourse
- International Arrivals Facility
- Dual Shuttle Automated People Mover System
- Two-Level Landside Access Roadway
- 669,000 Square Feet Terminal / Airside
- 185 Room In-Terminal Hotel
- 19,557 Square feet of Landside Concessions
- 23,107 Square feet of Airside Concessions
- 5,535 Car Parking Structure
- $8MM Public Art Program
- $1.27B Program Budget (Estimated)
- 2,400 new jobs
- $948 million in wages added to the region

Green Facts
- Goal of obtaining at least LEED Silver for Landside
- Use of recycled materials in building structure, floor, & ceiling finishes
- Extensive use of day-lighting to offset energy use
- Natural ventilation provided when possible
- Low-E glass to minimize heat gain through glazing
- Low-flush fixtures used throughout facility


Future Build out 2020 and beyond

[urban_encounter]

Passenger totals:

10.6 million passengers a year


12 month growth, from February of 2007 to February 2008

Arriving passengers: +10.88%
Departing passengers: +10.96%
Scheduled flights: +19.32%


Rank: 3rd in Northern California behind SFO and Oak and 37th nationally



Top 10 Destinations based on passenger loads:

San Diego
Los Angeles
Phoenix
Las Vegas
Ontario/San Bernardino
Seattle
Denver
Burbank
Portland
Santa Ana


Runways: Two 8,600' parallel runways, both fully-instrumented for inclement weather operations


Airline service from Terminal A

Air Canada
Delta Air Lines
Hawaiian Airlines
Southwest Airlines
U.S. Airways

Airline service from Terminal B

Alaska Airlines
American Airlines
Continental Airlines
ExpressJet
Frontier Airlines
Horizon Air
JetBlue
Mexicana Airlines
Northwest Airlines
United Airlines
United Express


Carrier shares from November 2006 through October 2007:

Southwest: 50.65%
United: 8.53%
America West:: 5.14%
Delta 4.97%
Alaska 4.79%
Other(s): 25.93%


Source: http://www.transtats.bts.gov/airports.as...mento,%20CA:%20Sacramento%20Metropolitan

[Buckeye Native 001]

That's a pretty cool-looking development.

[cascraperdude]

Great project, but not the best timing on it economically.

[Justin10000]

^^Exactly what I was thinking.

It's unlikely the airlines are going to bounce back anytime soon. Why spend money to expand airports?

[urban_encounter]

Originally Posted by Justin10000

^^Exactly what I was thinking.

It's unlikely the airlines are going to bounce back anytime soon. Why spend money to expand airports?

Sacramento's current terminal B is badly obsolete. Post 9/11 with the securtiy measures etc, the old terminal has to be replaced. It's standing room only at certain times. The International Arrivals building is an interim building that used to be the small commuter terminal. Also SMF is one of the few airports that has posted non stop growth even immediately after 9/11.


To shelve these plans now would not reduce the cost of expansion. People will still fly, but look for airlines to move toward more fuel efficient aircraft.

[jowens]

The Host Hotel on the Airport property should have been demolished years ago.

However they need to build more hotels close by at the airport exit on I-5.

I'm glad there building a new airport property hotel; unfortunately these types of hotels charge rediculous rates.

[Justin10000]

Originally Posted by urban_encounter

Sacramento's current terminal B is badly obsolete. Post 9/11 with the securtiy measures etc, the old terminal has to be replaced. It's standing room only at certain times. The International Arrivals building is an interim building that used to be the small commuter terminal. Also SMF is one of the few airports that has posted non stop growth even immediately after 9/11.


To shelve these plans now would not reduce the cost of expansion. People will still fly, but look for airlines to move toward more fuel efficient aircraft.

Gotcha.

[BrianSac]

Also, they have been planning this for the past 8-10 years.
The planning process takes a long long time especially in California and Sacramento in particular.

Its unfortunate the Sacto ground-breaking is happening right when the airline industry is going through a major crisis because the energy compainies are making record profits.

[urban_encounter]

Originally Posted by jowens

The Host Hotel on the Airport property should have been demolished years ago.

However they need to build more hotels close by at the airport exit on I-5.

I'm glad there building a new airport property hotel; unfortunately these types of hotels charge rediculous rates.

I'm not sure there's too much demand for more hotel space than what's being planned. SMF is only about 5-10 minutes from Downtown Sacramento, so most people would probably go downtown or over to Point West where many of the flight crews stay.

[Pistola916]

is there any plans on tearing down the control tower and building a new one?

[urban_encounter]

Originally Posted by Pistola916

is there any plans on tearing down the control tower and building a new one?

A new control tower will be built air side once Federal $$$ are available. County officials were hoping to have the money and tower u/c before moving forward with the central terminal. The County had to reduce the height of the hotel on the western most side so as not to obstruct the view of the old tower until it can be replaced.

[urban_encounter]

Amid turmoil in airline industry, Sacramento sets $1.27 billion airport remake
By Tony Bizjak - SacBee
Published 5:57 pm PDT Wednesday, July 16, 2008


This summer is not, by anyone's estimate, an ideal time to launch a major airport expansion.

Rocked by spiraling fuel costs, airlines are raising fares, canceling flights and even charging for luggage. So some airports are rethinking growth plans. And aviation experts say they expect more turbulence for a troubled industry.

Amid the turmoil, Sacramento International Airport next week will begin a long-planned $1.27 billion airport remake. And, while airport officials acknowledge the uncertainty of the moment, they remain confident they're making the right move.

"We are pretty comfortable with where we are at," airport director Hardy Acree said this week.

Airlines, including Southwest and United, complain the cost is too high and timing bad. But the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors counters that it's bad business to delay.

The industry will turn around at some point, Acree said, and Sacramento already has outgrown its existing airport.

Acree said his agency is, however, looking for ways to nip and tuck the expansion budget in the coming months.

The makeover starts quietly next week: First up is construction of a new overnight jet parking area.

In mid-August, airport visitors will face a real construction zone when the Terminal B1 hourly parking lot closes and the airport hotel is demolished.

In their place will come a four-story, glass and steel central terminal with a double-deck roadway and hotel tower. It's scheduled to replace Terminal B in 2011. Terminal B will be torn down after the new terminal opens.

The project includes a separate gate concourse building connected to the new central terminal by a people-mover tram.

Nationally, a number of airports are going forward with major projects, with the understanding that expansions take years to put into place. Others are postponing projects.

Sacramento airport director Acree said funding for the expansion remains solid, despite the downturn.

The airport recently increased parking rates and airline fees. It's also hoping for federal approval to increase passenger surcharges from $4.50 to $6 per ticket.

As construction begins, most of the $1.27 billion bill is covered by guaranteed contracts, Acree said.

Meantime, local officials say they and their contractors are spending the next 10 months doing "value engineering" that could lead to lower costs.

Airport executives also say they could adjust the timing on when the final part of the terminal project -- a $150 million parking garage -- is built.

[sugit]

Here is a website with a bunch of info on the expansion

http://www.bigbuild.org


Some cool pics as well...

[urban_encounter]

I have to hand it to the Board of Supervisors, in a city and region that normally tends to avoid big (high profile civic projects), the Board really exceeded all of my expectations with the selection of the Central Terminal Design.



Thanks for the link and additional photos Costa.

[Paul in S.A TX]

This is cool.

[ltsmotorsport]

Yeah, this really is a great looking project. Here's the updated site plan as well.

[urban_encounter]

County to spend $8 million for art at airport
By Ed Fletcher - [email protected]
Published 6:50 pm PDT Tuesday, September 9, 2008



Sacramento County supervisors voted unanimously today how to spend $8 million on public art at Sacramento International Airport's $1.27 billion replacement of Terminal B.

It is the largest art project in county history.

The money comes from passenger fees, concessions and airport parking and does not affect the county's general fund.

With the plan in place, Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission staff can begin soliciting artists that will help make the new terminal a suitable gateway to California's capital city.

Three internationally known artists - Donald Lipski, Lawrence Argent and Christian Moeller - were earlier selected to develop art projects that will be incorporated in the design and construction of the airport terminal.

The plan sets the program timeline, targets locations for public art and sets the budget and eligibility for projects.

The plan calls for a national search for artists on several of the larger budgeted projects. Six of the 14 sites are limited to Northern California artists. One site is limited to an artist from the Sacramento region only.

In earlier action, the board approved $8 million in art-related spending at the new terminal. That plan establishes a $1 million cap on administrative fees, a $2 million endowment to support the art program and $5 million for art projects.

[Gava]

I fully expect this one to halt all construction sometime during 2010 when the extent of the airline crisis really kicks in. 2009 will mark the year when dubble digit negative growth numbers become the norm and major airline bankruptcy effectively end the era of affordable prices for the masses.

[orulz]

1.27 billion eh. Hmm. Guess most airport expansions are "self funding" but 1.27 billion would cover a respectable amount of the CA HSR project - certainly a big chunk of the Sacramento portion of the line.

My local airport (RDU) is about ready to open the first phase of a half billion dollar rebuild of one of its terminals. The new terminal is indeed awesome. Actually very similar to these renderings, except of course the Sacramento terminal is larger. At RDU the terminal definitely needed some work, to be sure, but I wonder what might have happened if they just put $75 million into expanded security areas and improved ticketing and put the rest of the money towards something else. It could cover a good chunk of the proposed high(er) speed rail project that would boost speeds to 110-125mph and cut the travel time from Raleigh to DC from over 6 hours to under 4. It could also build a good chunk of a local transit line. Or, alternatively, a people mover connection from a nearby proposed local transit line to the airport.

Oh well, I suppose airport authorities' exist specifically to build and run airports, not to just contribute to transportation on the whole. I certainly wouldn't expect an airport to take some of its parking / landing / rental car revenues and give it up to somebody else.