LaGuardia Airport Central Terminal Building Redevelopment

Cleaner, Greener, and More Efficient

LaGuardia Airport Background

LaGuardia Airport (LGA) is one of the New York metropolitan area's three primary commercial airports. Encompassing 680 acres in the New York City Borough of Queens, LGA is a major domestic airport located just minutes from Manhattan, the nation's financial center, and serves a metropolitan area of approximately 19 million people. The airport borders on Flushing and Bowery Bays in northern Queens. It is an integral part of this region's economic activity and serves a key role in the transportation of people and goods.

LGA was opened as a commercial airport in 1939. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey began operating LGA in 1947. The airport consists of four passenger terminals and maintains two main runways. In 2011, LGA served approximately 24 million passengers through its 71 contact gates.

LGA is a major source of economic activity for the Borough of Queens as well as the New York City region. LGA employs approximately 10,000 people, and contributes more than $13.6 billion in economic activity to the NY/NJ metropolitan region, generating about 103,000 local jobs and $4.9 billion in annual wages and salaries.

Central Terminal Building Background

The Central Terminal Building opened to the public in 1964 with a design capacity of 8 million annual air passengers (enplaned and deplaned). Modernized and expanded to approximately 835,000 square feet of floor space in the 1990s, the six-block long terminal consists of a four-story central section, two three-story wings, and four concourses that can accommodate up to 35 aircraft gate positions.

The CTB faces a wide variety of challenges to both airside and landside operations. There are inadequacies in several areas of the CTB and its support facilities. The CTB parking garage (P2) is approaching the end of its useful life, and will require significant investment simply to maintain a state of good repair. The CTB's frontage roads do not meet industry design standards and are overly congested during peak periods. Its aircraft ramp constrains aircraft movement, resulting in inefficiencies and higher costs. The CTB itself suffers from severe spatial constraints; its design prevents airlines from using more modern, fuel efficient and environmentally friendly planes. Today's fleet of larger aircraft deliver passenger loads that are well in excess of the CTB's original design, with deficiencies throughout the concourses in hold room capacity, circulation, concessions, and rest rooms. Certain infrastructure is at the end of its useful life and cannot adequately serve current and future airport demands.

LGA Redevelopment Program

LGA is undergoing an extensive capital redevelopment program in an effort to provide world-class airport facilities for passengers and airlines alike. The Program is expected to include the demolition of the existing CTB and associated infrastructure and the construction of a new 1.3 million square foot, 35 gate terminal building; a new aeronautical ramp; frontage roads that will serve the new terminal; a new central heating and refrigeration plant; and other utilities and site improvements. These project elements will be constructed, operated, maintained and partially financed by a private developer that will be selected by the Port Authority via its procurement process.

The Port Authority will also undertake certain supporting projects that have independent utility and will support airlines and passengers across the entire airport, including the construction of roadways and utilities; the demolition of Hangars 2 and 4; and construction of new parking garages

Benefits of the Program

The LaGuardia Redevelopment Program is expected to be a catalyst for a significant increase in economic activity in the region during the multi-year construction period, creating thousands of jobs and millions in wages. The redeveloped airport will be capable of accommodating the forecasted growth in passengers using the airport, which are expected to grow to approximately 34 million annual passengers in 2030 (with 17.5 million of those passengers using the Central Terminal Building).

Progress

Procurement

On October 26, 2012, the LGA CTB Request for Qualifications (RFQ) and Project Briefing Book were released by Port Authority Procurement. To access information about the Procurement process, click here.

Environmental Assessment

An environmental assessment is being prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), with the Federal Aviation Administration as the lead Agency. When completed in 2013, the draft Environmental Assessment will be made available for public comment.

Outreach

The Port Authority is committed to ensuring that stakeholders are informed about the project and its benefits and potential impacts. We will be holding meetings with local residents and organizations throughout the duration of the project to provide information, build collaborative relationships, and answer questions. We encourage you to track progress with us by checking back regularly on the Progress tab.

Next Steps

A Public Information Open House was held December 12, 2012 to provide an initial project overview of the LGA Redevelopment and its Environmental Assessment process. Please click here to see what was presented.

Articles

• LGA'a Terminal Condition: 3.6B Cure; Overhaul would modernize, brighten

What People are Saying

"Fliers arriving and departing the New York metropolitan area deserve efficient, modern aviation facilities, not the crowded gate-areas designed for DC-9s at the current Central Terminal Building," said Pat Foye, the Agency's Executive Director. "We are working diligently in these times of economic hardship to make short-term and long-term progress toward improving our facilities."

"Just as the Port Authority led the world in the development of aviation facilities, we will again lead the world in new ways to modernize our facilities using new financial models," said Bill Baroni, the Port Authority's Deputy Executive Director.

"The Port Authority pioneered public-private partnerships at its airports, and this proven concept has worked well for the region, creating thousands of jobs while delivering 21st-century airport facilities for our customers," said Susan M. Baer, the Port Authority's Aviation Director. "We're excited to modernize LaGuardia Airport's main passenger terminal, and it's great to see our enthusiasm shared by so many others."

Outreach

The Port Authority is committed to ensuring stakeholders are informed about the project and its benefits and potential impacts. We will be holding various meetings with impacted residents and local organizations throughout the duration of the project to provide information, build collaborative relationships, and answer questions. We encourage you to track progress with us by checking back regularly on the Progress tab.

To access information about the Procurement process, click here.

Questions: Email LGACTB@panynj.gov or call 212-435-6938.