Construction at the airport

[Patrick]

As most of you know, our airport is currently under construction. The new west wing is complete and construction continues on the main terminal. Here are some up to date pics showing construction at the main terminal.

[BG918]

It looks great! I was there a few months ago and saw the new west concourse. I was amazed at how nice it was, very open with lots of natural light and soft colors. The airport will be so much better once the central terminal is completed, it's a mess right now! Are they still planning on rebuilding the east concourse? I've heard they are taking a break for a few years, is this true? OKC will have one nice airport when it's all done.

[mranderson]

Imagine this concept with the thirty gates I want... Then imagine a duplicate terminal with a subway system connecting them. The second terminal entering and exiting from SW 104.

That would easily make 60 gates. The newer terminal would be the one America West and JetBlue would share as hubs. In between with shuttle service would be the commuter terminal for America West's new commuter airline... Arbuckle Airlines which would serve Lawton, Ponca City, Enid, Wichita Falls, Muskogee, Ardmore, McAlister, and maybe Wichita.

(just my idea, the concept is not yet reality, but I would really push it as Ward five city councilman)

[Patrick]

Yeah, they're still planning on building the east concourse to bring the total up to 25 gates, but they're going to take a break after they get finished with the main terminal. Air traffic has gone down since 9-11, so they're going to take a wait-and-see approach. I hope they build it! The airport project would be incomplete without the east concourse.

[BG918]

Damn that sucks about the east concourse. The airport will definitely seem lop-sided with one really nice part and one old nasty part. I'm sure it will get built but until then it will be strange. The airport authority needs to put a big sign up before you enter the current east concourse with a rendering of the proposed concourse and a Coming Soon or something under it! Visitors will think the airport just ran out of money, or just decided to not finish!

[Patrick]

Oh, actually even without the east concourse, all of the airport will be new. The new gates at the main terminal behind the ticket counters will replace the old southeast concourse (what you called the "current east concourse").
The southeast concourse, the only part of the old airport remaining, will be demolished once the main terminal expansion is completed. SW and Delta will move to the main terminal. That will bring the airport to 16 gates, what we had before. The new east concourse would just provide new additional gates.

[BG918]

Ah I see, I wasn't sure how that was going to work. I still hope the east concourse is built within the next 5 years, that'll totally complete the airport and make it one of the best in the country for its size.

[Patrick]

This is what we started with:



This is what we'll have here in a few months when the main terminal expansion is completed and fitted with new gates (something this center structure didn't have before....before all of the gates were in the concourses). This will be how the airport will remain for at least a few years, or possibly permanently if they decide not to go forward with the east wing. Hopefully they'll go ahead with the east wing though.



Here's what the completed airport would look like with the east wing:

[Patrick]

BTW, I at one time questioned....why demolish the old airport and build an entire new one????....that's basically what we're doing. But, as Mr. Anderson pointed out to me several years ago, the new airport will be more easily expandable.....just expand the wings east and west. The old concourses weren't really expandable, and in addition they were small. Currently the airport is kind of a mixture of Phase I and II. The southwest concourse was demolished after the new west wing was built, but the southeast concourse will remain until Phase II (the expansion of the main terminal) is complete.

By the way, baggage claim areas are being remodeled with the main terminal renovations.

[Patrick]

Here's a pic of what the main terminal expansion will look like. See it will have gates for SW and Delta, unlike the existing terminal building, which only has gates in the concourses.

[Patrick]

Here's a pic of the beautiful plaza garden that will be built. It will be between the hourly pay lot and the terminal entrance (arrival and drop off road).

[Patrick]

This shows a pic of the hourly pay lot on top, with the rental car garage below and underground. A new facade has been placed on this garage. The long term multi-level parking garage can be seen in the background. The new plaza garden will be located where the machinery is located in this picture. To get from the hourly pay lot to the terminal, you'll either take the underground tunnel, or you can walk through the new plaza garden to the terminal. The plaza garden will be on the baggage claim level.



One thing you may wonder...well, where did they get the space for the plaza garden? Well, the hourly pay lot is much smaller now, as a portion of that garage was demolished to make way for the garden and expansion of the main terminal to the north. Here's a pic of them demolishing a good chunk of that garage.

[Patrick]

Here are some pics of te new west concourse:






Take note in this pic the gates have not been installed yet. They were installed on both the north and south sides.

[floater]

Here's hoping they go through with the other concourse construction. Anyway, I like the look of the new concourse. It's an odd mix of industrial stainless steel and earth tones. These two, plus the lightly-colored tiles and the natural light do make it seem inviting.

[Patrick]

From what I saw of the the new concourse last time I was there (I couldn't get to the concourse of course, but I could see much of it from the security check point), it looked very open and inviting. Much more open and bright than the old concourse. I was impressed. I think the native stone that's been incorporated into the design. And I like the "all-glass" look of the new concourse and eventually the new terminal. It looks very modern and contemporary.

[Nuclear_2525]

I am very impressed with all the designs. I just got back from a trip to Orlando and Mexico and we flew through DFW and Orlando's airport and neither of them, even in Orlando's brand new section, looked as nice as OKC's does. And Orlando and DFW are both major airports. I haven't seen the new expansion at DFW because it is still being worked on, but the outside is finished and it doesn't look near as interesting as this new OKC airport. Good job OKC!

By the way, I could've sworn that OKC was being looked at by several major airlines for a HUB airport after expansion was completed in a article a few months ago. I'll try and see if I can find the article.

[mranderson]

Nuclear: I hope you read correctly. It would be about time these airline executives woke up and realized Oklahoma City is the most centrally located major city in the United States.

Most major airports in the United States are either expanding or remodeling. Our remodel and (aledged) expansion is small in comparison to most. Again. WAKE UP! This time the Oklahoma City airport distrust.

[Patrick]

Yeah, OKC may have a smaller airport than other cities, but the renovations currently ongoing, are turning it into a first class facility. If we can't attract more flights and make our airport larger, at least we can make it nicer! That's a start. Also, as I said, the new design makes the airport more easily expandable in te future, so it's all for the good.