$1.545 Billion Bradley West Project Ground-Breaking Continues Modernization Effort at Los Angeles International Airport

Los Angeles World Airports Executive Director Gina Marie Lindsey said, "Today's groundbreaking commemorates the years of planning and the significant work ahead to build international facilities worthy of the LAX name," She added, "A world of international travelers and the airlines that serve them have now come a giant step closer to the delivery of one of America's premier international gateways."

Curtis Fentress, principal-in-charge of Fentress Architects, an international design firm with an office in Los Angeles and architect for the Bradley West Project, said, "This is a defining moment in the history of Los Angeles. The Bradley West terminal and future modernizations will establish a new regional icon that embodies the character of Los Angeles and transforms LAX into the airport of the future. It captures the rhythmic motion of waves and ocean swells, suggesting the L.A. culture that constantly reinvents itself."

Project Description

Flat-seam stainless steel will stretch over column-free structures, creating a cohesive theme and world-class identity that complements the parabolic arches of the scene-setting LAX Theme Building.

The Bradley West Project is composed of approximately 1.25 million square feet of new building area, including food/beverage and retail concessions, new premium lounge space, enlarged Federal Inspection/Customs and Border Protection facilities and other passenger amenities. In addition, the new concourses will contain 15 new boarding gates and enlarged passenger seating/holdroom areas sized to accommodate new-generation aircraft such as the Airbus A380 super-jumbo jet and the Boeing B787 Dreamliner. The new improvements are scheduled for completion in December 2012.

Funding for the Bradley West Project comes from LAX's operating revenues, fees from airlines, passenger facility charges and airport revenue bond proceeds. No monies from the City's general fund will be used.

The Bradley West Project will build upon the current $723.5-million renovation of the 30-year-old terminal, which is within budget and scheduled for on-time completion this spring.

Jobs

The Bradley West Project is the biggest public works project in the City's history and is expected to create 4,000 construction-related jobs during the four-year project schedule. Airport officials estimate that 90 percent of the construction workforce will come from the Southern California region, and nearly 40 percent of the workers will be residents of the City of Los Angeles and other communities near LAX. The Bradley West Project also is expected to provide direct and secondary regional economic benefits, including the need for construction goods and services associated with a large capital improvement project.

Sustainability

The project also will address Los Angeles World Airports' goal for a "greener" LAX. In accordance with LAWA's Sustainable Design and Construction Guidelines released in 2007, LAWA's construction projects must optimize the use of recycled building materials, minimize the amount of energy used in construction, and optimize energy efficiency. The architecture and construction of the new facilities are designed to achieve a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

In addition, as part of the program's environmental requirements and the project-level Environmental Impact Report, prepared in accordance with Los Angeles City and California state regulations and in consultation with community stakeholders, the construction project will incorporate practices developed to minimize adverse environmental impacts on the surrounding areas, including, but not limited to: designating specific routes construction vehicles must use when traveling to/from the site; recycling construction materials and demolition debris; reducing the number of trips by placing concrete mixers and other equipment on-site; retrofitting construction equipment with emission- and noise-reduction devices; and controlling dust.

Other LAX Modernization Efforts

The first element of the LAX Master Plan, the South Airfield Improvement Program, was completed in 2007. The one-year, $333-million project reconfigured the airport's south runway complex to improve airfield safety.