In partnership with American Airlines, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) Airports and Holt Construction, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) has begun construction on the transformation of the commercial redevelopment program at John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport’s Terminal 8.
The US$125m commercial redevelopment program by JFK T8 Innovation Partners – a joint venture led by URW and equity partner Phoenix Infrastructure Group, a minority-owned business enterprise (MBE)-certified investment firm – is expected to transform the customer experience at the terminal with a complete redesign and expansion of the concessions program. This will include new dining, retail, duty-free shopping, performance space and digitally enabled experiences for customers of American and its partner airlines. The commercial redevelopment follows the US$400m expansion of Terminal 8. Completed in November 2022, the expansion and modernization of Terminal 8 is a component of the port authority’s US$19bn redevelopment of JFK.
Local art
URW also collaborated with a Queens-based artist studio, Vaughn Bentley Creative, to transform otherwise utilitarian construction barricades into a massive canvas to promote the local arts community and showcase art that will create a sense of place unique to the airport’s home borough. Six groups of artists were curated from more than 130 submissions reviewed by a committee comprising representatives of the port authority, American Airlines and URW. Four Queens-based artists were selected and received a stipend to produce work for the inaugural exhibit. Local artists will have additional opportunities to show their art in future showcases throughout the terminal. There are plans for the finished terminal to feature a year-round permanent artist showcase.
Executive statements
“A reimagined commercial program paired with inspiring public art will elevate the passenger experience at Terminal 8, as part of our US$19bn transformation of JFK Airport,” said Rick Cotton, executive director of PANYNJ. “Across JFK, we are focused on creating a sense of place unique to New York, with locally owned concessions operating alongside national brands and public art that reflects the culture and traditions of the communities around the airport.”
“This significant investment in creating world-class and locally inspired dining and retail at Terminal 8 is essential to our successful effort to raise the bar for passenger service at JFK,” said Kevin O’Toole, chairman of the port authority. “The commercial redevelopment and commitment to public art at Terminal 8 is a critical step toward achieving the port authority’s vision for a new JFK Airport that will once again be ranked as one of the best airports in the world.”
“The start of the construction phase marks an important milestone in the transformation of the Terminal 8 experience for American Airlines and its partners’ customers,” said Dany Nasr, CEO of URW Airports. “We’re partnering across Queens to deliver every aspect of this exciting project, and we are delighted to showcase amazing local born-and-bred Queens talent as construction kicks off. This is only the start of a platform that celebrates this community’s vibrant diversity and culture and connects with and supports our many neighborhoods.”
“Beginning the construction of our expanded concessions is an exciting step to continue enhancing the customer experience at Terminal 8,” said Amanda Zhang, American Airlines’ vice president of airport affairs and facilities. “The unique showcase is an excellent way to celebrate the critical partnership and contributions of our local and minority-owned business enterprise partners. On behalf of American, thank you to the many artists who curated this exhibit for our customers to enjoy during the busy summer travel season.”
“It is our pleasure to work with the URW team on this project and foster connections with the MWBE/LBE/SDVOB community,” said Chris Asaro, president of Holt Construction. “Working with like-minded partners who strive to build up the communities in which they operate makes all the difference in being successful in ensuring outreach goals are achieved. Since the onset of our program for the Terminal 8 commercial redevelopment program we have held 16 virtual outreach sessions, spoken to over 1,500 individuals, prequalified 29 new MWBE/LBE/SDVOB firms and are in the process of working with another 139 firms who have showed interest.”
“Being a part of the inaugural exhibit at JFK T8 is a testament to our manifestations as artists and small business owners,” said Shenna Vaughn, curator of Vaughn Bentley Creative. “As local artists and small business owners, this has been an exciting and pivotal experience for not only ourselves but the local artists we have called along to exhibit within the showcase as well. With the support of URW, we have provided our thriving talents and our eclectic vision toward such a groundbreaking project that communicates, inspires and transcends the passions of our mind and heart. We aspire to be the catalyst of many more exhibitions to come.”
“The US$19bn overhaul of Kennedy Airport has been a game-changer for the Queens economy, including the hundreds of local businesses that have combined to secure nearly US$1bn in contracting opportunities to operate at the facility. That success will be on display at Terminal 8 as well, as we get started on this massive commercial redevelopment of the space,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. “From dining to retail to even locally sourced art to be displayed at Terminal 8, I look forward to seeing even more Queens-based entrepreneurs and artists becoming critical pieces of the airport’s overall redevelopment.”
In related news, JFK Millennium Partners, (JMP), the company selected by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) to build and operate the new US$4.2bn JFK Terminal 6 (T6), has chosen Arora to implement IBM’s Maximo Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) software and the Arora ATLAS suite of mobile products for T6, which is currently under construction in Queens, New York. Click here to read the full story.