Feb. 05--To punctuate their ardent support of a plan to replace an 83-year-old terminal at Bob Hope Airport with a new larger one, the City Council decided this week to create a resolution laying out their approval of the project.
"It's getting ancient and run down," said Mayor Dave Weaver at a Tuesday City Hall meeting. "The new terminal will save a lot of energy and operate much better."
Glendale's resolution, which will have to be formally approved at an upcoming meeting, will act as a showing of support as the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority embarks on an environmental review of the proposed project. Traditionally, stakeholders submit comments in favor or against a project as part of that review, but Glendale council members said penning a resolution goes a step further than a letter of support.
"I think that city is ready for a new terminal," said Councilman Frank Quintero. "I think we're on the verge of something positive."
The plan is to demolish an existing 14-gate terminal and construct a new one with the same number of gates, but the replacement terminal would be 355,102 square feet, about 68% bigger than the existing one. In addition, the airport authority would develop on a portion of a 58-acre property on Hollywood Way. About 2.35 million square feet of the site may also be developed to fund the construction of the replacement terminal. The project may also tap federal funds.
The airport authority would like to build the new terminal because the current one is too close to the runway for today's standards, said the airport's executive director Dan Feger.
"You can basically spit from one terminal to the runway," Councilwoman Laura Friedman said.
Weaver, Quintero and Friedman all serve as commissioners on the airport authority.
The plan for the new terminal must be approved by Burbank voters to move forward due to that city's rules. Feger said if all goes as planned, airport officials expect to have a ballot measure ready by next year.
Copyright 2014 - Glendale News-Press, Calif.
