San Diego’s Green Build

by Brad McAllister
Created: October 18, 2010

Terminal project to add capacity and enhance the passenger experience

As the largest improvement project in the airport's history, The Green Build will help meet the airport's current and future demand for travel, while improving customer service and serving as an...
As the largest improvement project in the airport's history, The Green Build will help meet the airport's current and future demand for travel, while improving customer service and serving as an economic stimulus for the San Diego region. A $1 billion...
See The Green Build Terminal 2 expansion taking shape at San Diego International Airport.
See The Green Build Terminal 2 expansion taking shape at San Diego International Airport.
Time-lapse video of the steel support structure going up for The Green Build expansion of Terminal 2 West at San Diego International Airport.
Time-lapse video of the steel support structure going up for The Green Build expansion of Terminal 2 West at San Diego International Airport.

“For the bond market, having a five-year commitment from the airlines makes the finance people feel better.

“In San Diego we have a very diverse carrier base; we have a five-year common-use agreement. It keeps the airport stable, and in our market we can get away with that.”

Funding; Future

The Green Build will be paid for with airport revenues, passenger facility charges, grants from the federal government and elsewhere, and bonds, according to Enarson. “We are out on the market right now to borrow,” he says. “Airports are having a tough time with that right now because the economy is not real good. We were fortunate and had our ratings redone, and we pretty much stayed where we were — stable. We will see what interest rate we are able to get; we are targeting 6 percent, but I think we will probably do better than that.”’

In terms of future challenges, Enarson says the airport’s biggest problem is going to be, as time goes on and as the airport gets busier, having no room to grow. The airport is located on 660 acres and is landlocked by the bay on one side, the Pacific Highway on another, the U.S. Marines to the north, and city development on the West.

“We have pretty much all the land available to us under our control,” comments Enarson. “So the challenge is really going to be long-term in how we’re going to be able to deal with growth.

“This airport was originally a 100-year solution in 1928; there will need to be a new 100-year solution soon.”

FAST FACTS

San Diego International Airport/ Lindbergh Field (SAN)

Acres: 660 (Landlocked)

Single Runway: 9,401 feet in length and 200 feet in width.
• Congestion anticipated when annual aircraft operations reach between 260,000 to 300,000 (30 percent above current levels).

Passengers: 16.9 million annually (2009); 27 to 33 million expected by 2030.
• 1,605,790 passengers (August 2010).

Employees: Some 4,900.

Carriers: 17 passenger and four cargo; 90 percent origin and destination market.
• Market share leader in terms of passengers is Southwest Airlines (37.3 percent).

Cost per enplaned passenger: $6.50/$6.60.

Load factor: Some 85 percent.

Facility: 41 gates in two terminals; commuter terminal provides four gates.

Fixed base operator: Landmark Aviation

A Public Art Master Plan

The San Diego Airport Authority has developed a public art master plan which will be implemented in three phases over seven years. The plan will result in a collection of artworks that blend with building design and infrastructure
throughout The Green Build process.

Policies provide for two percent of the budget for eligible construction projects to be allocated for public art; artistic elements will be added to both existing airport facilities and future construction projects such as terminals, roadways, and connecting green spaces.
The Green Build includes three significant public art projects:

• The Multisensory Journey: Charges the artist with creating a multisensory experience that extends the entire length of the new terminal expansion and functions as an intuitive way-finding element.

• The Suspended Artwork: Under this project, the artist will create an artistic statement that will hover over and integrate into the concessions area. The suspended artwork will span multiple levels and be visually accessible from numerous perspectives.

• The Terminal Elevators: The terminal includes a set of two glass-enclosed elevators in the concessions area. As an integral component of The Green Build, the opportunity charges the artist with creating an experience and way-finding element that serves as a beacon ascending multiple levels — arrivals, departures, and concessions.