Oct. 18--Port Columbus' ticket lobby, baggage-claim area and three concourses will get an $80 million makeover, an effort aimed at keeping the 55-year-old terminal functional for at least 20 more years.
Airport officials made the announcement of the three-year project yesterday, saying it will begin next month with work on Concourse A.
Columbus Regional Airport Authority board members are expected to sign off on the project when they meet on Tuesday, airport officials said.
"It seems like a long time for a project of this scope, but it's a very efficient timeline," said David Whitaker, vice president of business development for the authority, which oversees Port Columbus and Rickenbacker airports.
The work promises to bring more natural and improved lighting throughout the airport, terrazzo flooring, new carpeting and improved restrooms and concessions. There also will be mechanical, technological and security upgrades.
The result will give the terminal a more contemporary look that will make passengers more comfortable, airport executives say.
The work will be funded by airline ticket charges of $4.50 per passenger coming to or leaving Columbus along with capital reserves and operating funds.
The work in the terminal follows $627 million in improvements made at the airport since 2001, including roadway, runway and baggage-handling upgrades.
Whitaker said the airport has been renovated numerous times and expanded since it opened.
"It remains in remarkable condition," he said.
But the ticket lobby looks dated, and the consolidation of airlines in recent years means less space being used by the airlines in that area, he said.
"It will conform to today's reality and leave some growth capacity," he said of the renovation.
The airport has about 140 daily flights and expects to serve 6.3 million passengers this year. The airport has the potential to serve up to10 million passengers a year.
Plans for the renovation date to 2001. But the terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001, led to the installation of baggage-screening equipment in the lobby, and the airport's focus turned more heavily to security.
A new $35 million screening system installed behind the wall of the ticket lobby has freed up the lobby for renovation, Whitaker said.
Port Columbus is one of many airports across the country planning terminal renovations, said Nawal Taneja, aviation professor emeritus at Ohio State University.
"If you enhance the facilities, it increases the marketability of the airport to the airlines," he said, noting that applies not just to terminal improvements, but also to upgrades to runways, baggage systems and gates.
Terminal improvements also can help make the difference for customers trying to decide what airports to use for their trips, he said.
"Such things as improving bathrooms and lighting enhance the customer experience," he said.
Kenny McDonald, chief economic officer of Columbus 2020, the area's economic-development group, said the improvements will make the airport a more powerful draw to bring business to the city.
"It's the port of entry for our community, for most people," he said. "It's the first thing they see when they get off the plane."
Copyright 2012 - The Columbus Dispatch, Ohio
