AECOM Tishman to build $9.5B international terminal at JFK

Dive Brief:

On Monday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a new 2.4 million-square-foot terminal to anchor the south side of John F. Kennedy International Airport, according to a Port Authority of New York and New Jersey press release. The design-build team selected for the project is composed of AECOM Tishman and Gensler.
The $9.5 billion Terminal One project will be completed in three phases and is expected to bring in 10,000 total jobs, including 6,000 in construction, according to the release. It will be the largest international terminal at the airport.
Private partners are fully financing the project, while the Port Authority will cover the infrastructure costs, such as new roads and utility support. The terminal is expected to break ground in 2022 and open to passengers in 2026. Full completion of the buildout is projected for approximately 2030.

Dive Insight:

The new terminal will feature 23 new gates and will include retail, dining, an indoor green space and other offerings, according to the release. It will also use renewable energy technologies such as solar hot water and aircraft de-icing and fluid recovery. The diesel ground service equipment, such as baggage tractors and belt loaders, will be converted to an electric-powered ground service fleet across the airport.

In order to get this project off the ground, the City of New York made a 10-year emergency extension for JFK's master lease to now end in 2060, and provide more time after the terminal opens for private financiers to get their money back.

The Port Authority Board of Commissioners are scheduled to vote Thursday on the proposed lease agreement and the allocation of $2.9 billion in funds to enable infrastructure upgrades for the project, which were included in the Port Authority's 2017-2026 Capital Plan for the JFK Redevelopment program, according to the release.

As part of the construction project, the Port Authority will be making infrastructure improvements to the surrounding area that include roads, parking lots and utilities, as well as a new electric substation.

The new terminal will be built on the old sites of Terminals 1, 2 and 3. The project was initially expected to break ground in 2020, but the coronavirus pandemic threw a wrench into those plans, according to the release. Now, however, Hochul is bullish on moving forward.

"The time to get large infrastructure projects done is now, and I'm committed to getting JFK's brand new Terminal One underway and completed as soon as possible," said Hochul in the release.

The Terminal One project is one component of a four-part upgrade at the airport, which also includes: