Cheryl Nashir, associate deputy airport director for San Francisco International Airport, relates that the goal with SFO’s Terminal 2 (T2) overhaul was to “create an environment that’s conducive to spending and customer relaxation.” That required eliminating the boundaries between the passenger and the facilities – “merge all that space and create a living room environment,” she says.
The $383 million refurbishment, spearheaded by Gensler, includes some 30,793 square feet of retail development, including 12 restaurants, 9 retail stores, and a gourmet marketplace with a wine bar and a spa. SFO management opted to manage individual leases internally rather than hand the responsibility over to a master concessionaire. “We prefer to do business locally to the greatest extent possible,” says Nashir. In all there are some 16 leases in T2.
Among the newest shopping outlets is a Napa Farms gourmet marketplace, which features locally made products and brands, and the Mosaic Fine Art and Craft Gallery, the type of specialty store which Nashir says is an important part of a major concessions program today because such shops generate a higher percentage of revenue per square foot.
Terminal 2 is now SFO’s home for American Airlines and Virgin America and its 14 gates are designed to handle up to 5.5 million passengers annually. In its first year it is estimated that T2 will accommodate some 3.2 million passengers.
