Hartford Business Journal

16 Hartford Business Journal • April 30, 2018 • www.HartfordBusiness.com By John Stearns jstearns@HartfordBusiness.com B radley International Air- port officials are recom- mending $1.4 billion in projects over the next two decades as part of an ambi- tious master plan that would prepare the state's largest airfield for millions of additional passengers. Nearly two years in the making and in- volving the Connecticut Airport Authori- ty (CAA), which operates Bradley, myriad consultants and other stakeholders, the plan will serve as a guide for accom- modating future airline and passenger growth and building the airport's capac- ity as a key tool in the region's economy. It's the first master plan under the CAA since the authority took over Brad- ley operations from the state Depart- ment of Transportation in 2013 and the first master plan update since 2005. Notable projects recommended in the 417-page, $1.25-million plan include: • A new passenger Terminal B con- nected to the current Terminal A. • A new consolidated rental car and ground transportation facility with 830 parking spaces that will put all rental car companies in one space on-site and eliminate shuttling to rental sites. • A reconfigured Schoesphoester Road that includes four roundabouts for smoother flow along the airport. The Route 20 connector road into the airport is already being realigned through the former Lot 1 surface lot, to improve traffic flow into the airport and make room for the future rental car facility. Other projects include taxi- way enhancements, a new baggage inspection/federal inspection service facility, ad- ditional parking and more. "We have plans that were already progressing that we know we're going to build, for example, the transporta- tion center," said Kevin Dillon, CAA's executive director. "We're very close to getting to the point where we're going to go out and finance that project," which is estimated at $220 million and will be paid for through fees on rental cars, known as customer facility charges. Dillon hopes to see ground broken for the project, near the Sheraton Hotel and in front of where the former Terminal B (Murphy Termi- nal) was, later this year, with completion in about 2021. A new Terminal B, with about 440,000 square feet, would roughly double exist- ing terminal space to about 843,000 square feet and con- nect to Terminal A for a "more cohesive terminal experience for passengers as well as the added ben- efit of lower costs," the plan says. It's the plan's biggest project, pegged at about $509.5 million over three phases starting with phase one in the 2023-2027 time period and phases two and three in the 2028-2037 period. Before work would begin on a new Terminal B, though, the airport would maximize the capacity of Terminal A by relocating baggage explosive detection equipment currently consuming lobby space and making other changes to improve passenger capacity and flow. "I've often said, I do believe at some point this airport could be a 10-mil- lion passenger airport," Dillon said. "If we're going to get to that number and go beyond, we're going to need to improve this infrastructure over time." There were 6.4 million Bradley passen- gers last year, still below the 2000 and 2005 peaks of roughly 7.4 million and 7.2 million passengers, respectively. The 2000 peak was before the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the 2005 peak was before the Great Recession, rising fuel prices and massive industry consolidation that reshaped the industry and hit small- and medium-hub airports — including Bradley — hard, Dillon said. The master plan contemplates roughly 9.4 million passengers by 2037, an aver- age annual growth rate of 1.82 percent. Passenger totals last year grew 6.2 percent. Wish list or reality? Although not cast in stone, the master plan is generally a road map to follow based on what's known today and will be periodically updated, based on changes that may occur after the plan, Dillon said. "For example, if we're able to cultivate a major cargo development here at the airport, that could alter how we're looking at some of the expenses under this plan," he said. The plan will be submit- ted to the Federal Aviation Administration, which must approve it. While it's difficult to say if every recommended project will get done, "as I sit here today, I do believe this is an accurate reflection of where I would look to take this airport if I were here for the next 20 years," Dillon said. To approach 10-million pas- sengers requires Bradley to recapture passenger leakage Bradley Airport Project Outline Here is a snapshot of the short- and long-term projects that make up Bradley International Airport's 20-year master plan. Short-term projects (0-5 years, 2017-2022) Passenger circulation terminal renovation Ground transportation center construction Terminal restroom renovation Terminal A expansion (ticketing, baggage claim, concourse) Mid-term projects (5-10 years, 2023-2027) Taxiway H reconfiguration Terminal A renovation Remote parking lot expansion Phase one of Terminal B expansion Service road relocation Various taxiway extensions Long-term projects (10-20 years, 2028-2037) Property acquisition Phases two and three of Terminal B expansion Schoesphoester Road improvements Airport maintenance/repair facility Several taxiway extensions and reconfigurations Bradley's Blueprint Bradley International Airport officials prep new 20-year, $1.4B master plan A rendering of the planned $220 million rental car/ground transportation facility at Bradley Airport, which will have 830 parking spaces and all rental car facilities in one place. RENDERING | CONTRIBUTED

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