Midfield Terminal Two-Thirds Complete

Construction of the Midfield Terminal Complex at Southwest Florida International Airport is two-thirds completed and on schedule for opening in spring 2005. The $438 million project includes a 798,000-square-foot terminal, a new taxiway and related roadways.

As of early May, the structural work and roof installation on Concourse B – one of three concourses – had been completed, and installation of baggage-conveyor belts and terminal windows was 50 percent complete. Terrazzo flooring is being installed in the baggage-claim area, and permanent electric power will be activated in parts of the building this month.

Construction of the three-story parking garage is 70 percent complete, and light fixtures are being installed. Paving of the taxiway continues.

Site preparation for the project began in February 2002 south of the airport’s runway. Significant modifications were made to accommodate new passenger- and baggage-screening procedures, mandated by the Transportation Security Administration after the original design was completed. A larger, more complex baggage-handling system was added, the terminal was expanded by 27,000 square feet to accommodate the new system, and space was added at passenger-screening checkpoints.

"It was a challenge to adjust the terminal design to accommodate new security measures, but we’re fortunate to be able to build this terminal for a new era of air travel,” said Robert M. Ball, A.A.E., executive director of the Lee County Port Authority.

DMJM Aviation Inc., the firm that is managing the design and construction of the Midfield Terminal Complex, worked with airport officials, airlines, rental car agencies, regulatory agencies and other stakeholders early in the project’s design process. Surveys of passengers, airport visitors, and airline and airport staff helped shape the new facility.

A primary consideration was passenger convenience. Walking distances have been minimized, the number of parking spaces is being doubled, and the number of seats in waiting areas is being tripled.

The two-story terminal will be accessed by a dual roadway system that will allow departing passengers to be dropped off at the upper-level curb and arriving passengers to be picked up on the lower level. The upper level will include ticket counters, security clearance areas, aircraft gates, restaurants and shops. Baggage claim facilities will be located on the ground floor.

The parking garage, located directly across from the terminal, will provide 2,200 hourly parking spaces and will house rental car facilities, eliminating the need for rental car shuttles. The 9,800-space, long-term parking lot and the 1,300-space employee parking area will be served by shuttles.

The terminal will open with 28 aircraft gates. An incremental expansion design will provide long-term flexibility, cost efficiencies and the potential for a total of 65 gates. T-shaped extensions can be added to the concourses to provide additional gates – a few at a time or several – and there is space for two more concourses. In addition, two floors of parking can be added to the garage building.

An innovative approach to environmental preservation helped the Port Authority secure the permits required for the project. An off-site mitigation park, east of the airport, is preserving 7,000 acres of pristine, environmentally sensitive land, including the largest freshwater marsh in Lee County.

Existing areas have been restored and preserved, exotic vegetation has been removed, and new habitat is being created. Empty farmlands were excavated to create 400 to 500 acres of wetlands, and other land has been modified to return it to its original, natural state. The project not only has restored flow ways for surface water, but also has created an exclusive environment for wildlife preservation.

The Midfield Terminal Complex project is being funded with grants from the Federal Aviation Administration and the Florida Department of Transportation; airline rents and fees; and other airport revenue, including bonds. No ad valorem (property) taxes are used for airport operation or construction.

Southwest Florida International Airport opened in May 1983. The original master plan projected that the airport would reach its capacity of 3 million passengers by 1995, but that number actually was reached in 1988 -– seven years earlier than predicted. The airport has served more than 5 million passengers annually since 2000. The new terminal, which will replace the existing terminal building, will have the capacity for 10 million passengers annually.

FMI: www.SWFIA.com