Mar. 9—Work on the San Antonio International Airport's $2.5 billion expansion is taking flight as the city moves forward with one of the most sizable contracts for the effort so far.
City Council selected Dallas-based Corgan Associates as the master architect, tasked with providing architectural and engineering services for a new terminal and related projects that will precede construction. Corgan will work closely with Lake|Flato, a nationally recognized local firm.
The new terminal and related projects are expected to cost between $1 and $2 billion, making them the first and largest steps in the $2.5 billion, 20-year master plan to remake the airport.
The contract — for up to $30 million — with Corgan Associates runs through the new terminal's opening in 2028. Airport officials released a series of conceptual renderings last month from Corgan made possible under a $3.8 million planning and design contract.
Under the new agreement, Corgan will go beyond planning and dig deeper into designing, producing blueprints, selecting materials and helping during construction.
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Airport Director Jesus Saenz said his team would seek out as many Federal Aviation Administration grants as possible to cover the cost of the contract. Aviation capital funds also will be used.
The new terminal, adjacent to Terminal B, will take up 832,500 square feet. By comparison, Terminal A is 378,524 square feet, and Terminal B 231,753 square feet.
In December, City Council approved a contract of up to $32 million with Freese and Nichols for project and construction management related to the incoming terminal.
City Council on Thursday also approved an on-call advertising and marketing agreement with KGBTexas Communications for up to $10 million. The three-year contract has the option to be extended for two one-year periods.
The airport regularly enters into advertising and marketing agreements, but the terminal development program will be a major focal point for KGBTexas as the expansion gets underway. The contract calls for the communications firm to keep people updated about the progress of the terminal project.
The agreement also provides funds for an incentive program marketed to airlines that initiate new non-stop service or are new to flying out of San Antonio International. The program is meant to help boost the number of direct flights and attract new airlines.
KGBTexas also will support airport concessions, parking, general airport marketing campaigns and any other marketing and public relations activities in the Aviation Department.
Airport plans
Construction on projects leading up to the new terminal will begin next year, and work on the terminal itself will start in 2025.
It could include a courtyard and up to 17 gates — for a total of about 40 at the airport. When it opens in the second quarter of 2028, the terminal will operate eight security lines but will have the capacity for a dozen.
Several other projects will pave the way for the new terminal, including roadway and utility work and the construction of a parking garage and ground transportation center. The location of the new parking garage hasn't been determined.
The ground transportation center — for VIA Metropolitan Transit buses, hotel shuttles, taxis and rideshares — will include a few hundred parking spaces. Construction is expected to begin in early 2024.
Officials now are working on the design and environmental work and hammering out new lease agreements with airlines.
The new terminal will mean far more room for concessions and, therefore, more revenue for the city. Terminal C plans include 41,000 square feet for restaurants, bars and shops — compared with Terminal A's 23,642 square feet and Terminal B's 5,982 square feet.
San Antonio International was recently awarded $20 million from a Federal Aviation Administration fund for airport upgrades after the city lost out on funding from the same pot of money last year.
The city will use the grant to build a 37,000-square-foot ground-loading facility in Terminal A, allowing airlines to board passengers from the tarmac out of five gates. Construction could begin as soon as this summer.
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