$13.16 million deal considered to add 2 wings to airport
Expansion plans at Huntsville International Airport will give passengers and visitors more waiting room, with two new wings featuring 30-foot-high windows for a view of the airfield.
This morning, the Huntsville/Madison County Airport Authority will consider a $13.16 million contract with Hudak & Dawson Construction Co. Inc. in Gadsden for the project.
Work should begin in December to add the two second-floor wings near the connector walkway and security checkpoint. The wing to the west will house the security checkpoint, and the east wing will have a lobby and seating area. "There will be seating for more than 200 people," said Barbie Peek, the airport's marketing director. The renovation will also significantly widen the walkway toward the new wings.
The project will add 14,000 square feet, bringing the amount of public waiting space to 20,000 square feet.
The work is expected to be completed in the summer of 2009.
"The public won't be able to see the initial work," Peek said. After about nine months, when the west wing is completed, passengers will be routed to that wing for security screening.
A new and expanded concession area with retail and food and beverage operations should be ready after the first of the year, Peek said. In the concourse, the food concessions area will be doubled to nearly 6,000 square feet.
Huntsville International is the first airport to offer Gevalia coffee on a retail basis, and its kiosk will be moved into a new permanent location. The Huntsville airport will be the first airport with a McAllister's Deli, and the concessions area will also have pizza and Breyer's ice cream. Adjacent to concessions will be an upscale bar with grab-and-go food and beverage selections.
In all, the $65 million airport improvement project includes a parking deck addition, public waiting and concessions expansions, baggage claim expansion and improved flight information displays. "This is all about providing better customer service," Peek said.
