A new south terminal at Orlando International Airport will begin construction in the first quarter of 2017. Plans were finalized earlier this week, when Fentress Architects presented the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority Board with a proposed vision for the US$1.8bn Terminal C project, Phase 1. Board members provided feedback, then voted to approve the plans and looked at a potential timescale.
Conceptual drawings were revealed for a number of the terminal’s features, including Town Square and Palm Court. There will also be ‘The Boulevard’, which will connect the civic areas. It is hoped that construction will commence in early 2017, finishing in 2020. Maximum capacity of the airport is currently 45 million passengers per year, but the extension should increase that to 55 million.
Fentress also designed Denver International Airport, Los Angeles International, Seattle-Tacoma and Incheon, South Korea. Its vision for Orlando’s Terminal C comprises 2.7 million square feet, with 16 gates to accommodate narrow body, jumbo and super jumbo aircraft for international and domestic flights. There will also be a baggage handling tote system and a six-story 5,000-space expanded parking garage, with the design following the Sustainable Management Plan (SMP) for LEED Silver New Construction recognition.
Phil Brown, executive director, Greater Orlando Aviation Authority Board, said, “Today’s travelers to Central Florida demand a memorable experience, so it is essential that we strive to stay at the forefront of design, innovation, customer care and improved connectivity. Our challenge is to provide state-of-the-art services and facilities at an affordable cost.”