Privately-owned LaGuardia Gateway Partners (LGP) yesterday took over its new 34-year lease to create new world-class facilities, an improved passenger experience and greater airline efficiencies at LaGuardia Airport’s Central Terminal B.

This partnership represents one of the largest new transportation infrastructure projects ever created in the United States which is financed entirely by equity, debt and revenues.

LGP is a consortium that includes the Vantage Airport Group, Skanska and Meridiam – together with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANY&NJ).

 

 

Besides its huge infrastructure improvement undertakings, it has also has entered into this new public-private partnership promising to deliver ‘exciting food, retail and beverage options for passengers’ that will reflect both regional and national offerings.

NEW YORK GOVERNOR CUOMO’S ‘VISION’

Port Authority Executive Director Pat Foye commented yesterday: “Today’s contractual closing of the public-private partnership and the imminent commencement of construction represent a huge step forward in Governor Cuomo and the Port Authority’s vision to modernize LaGuardia Airport.

“The new Terminal B will be a 21st Century facility offering a high level of customer service and amenities. The LaGuardia Public-Private Partnership represents the second major PPP entered into by the Port Authority in less than three years.”

 

Adding his comments, Stewart Steeves, CEO of LaGuardia Gateway Partners said: “Today is a milestone step forward for the project, the broader New York community and the nation.

 

“With the beginning of this lease, our team brings its award-winning experience to the project and will deliver a sustainably-designed, state-of-the art facility at LaGuardia Airport.”

MAJOR INVESTMENT COMPONENTS…

As agreed, the major part of this new development contract requires LGP to construct a new 35-gate Terminal B, a Central Hall, parking facilities and related roadways and supporting infrastructure. One of its main challenges will be to keep the airport’s existing terminal operational throughout the construction process – without impacting on flight schedules.

 

LGP says that its new facilities will begin to open in 2018, with ‘scheduled substantial completion in 2022’. It adds that the new terminal will feature dual pedestrian bridges spanning active aircraft taxi lanes – a world first – to connect the terminal to two island concourses which will improve airline circulation and gate flexibility – so hopefully helping to reduce airport delays.

SENSE OF PLACE

The western concourse bridge will also incorporate a view of the Manhattan skyline which has been factored in to reflect the  new terminal design and how it ‘uniquely reflects New York’.

Importantly, more than 1.3m square feet of the new terminal is also expected to meet LEED Silver certification for sustainable design, a designation of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) – as measured and approved by the US Green Building Council.

 

George Casey, President and CEO, Vantage Airport Group and LGP Chairman of the Board added: “Our team has brought together several of the world’s aviation leaders to benefit the Port Authority, the more than 14.3 million passengers who travel through LaGuardia’s Central Terminal B annually and the airlines who serve them.”

LaGuardia Gateway Partners’ members claim to have worked on more than 350 aviation and transportation projects globally and domestically, including international airports in New York (John F. Kennedy), Chicago, Doha, Delhi, Los Angeles, Santiago, and Nassau.

 

According to data from the Port Authority, LaGuardia established ‘new highs in passenger numbers’ in calendar year 2015, handling a total of 28.4m, compared with John F. Kennedy’s 26.8m domestic and 30m international passengers and Newark Liberty’s 25.7m passengers.