Dive Brief:
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New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport is building the world’s first airport terminal for animals.
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The $48 million, 178,000-square-foot terminal — named ARK after the Bible story of Noah — will shelter and quarantine 70,000 animals a year, ranging from racehorses to cattle to house cats, before and after their flights. Built on the site of a demolished cargo terminal, the facility will feature climate-controlled horse stalls with showers and dog suites with flat-screen TVs. On-site groomers and a large pool will help make the animals comfortable.
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The facility will charge hefty prices to animal owners who board their pets there: A horse owner, for example, could pay up to $10,000 to shelter, crate and fly a horse from one location to another. A dog suite will go for around $100 a night.
Dive Insight:
It’s not so easy to design a terminal for such a variety of four-legged travelers. Designers — from San Francisco-based architecture firm Gensler — collaborated on the facility’s layout with veterinarians, and fashioned a “poo chute” to dispose of manure.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will have final approval over the terminal once it’s finished.
ARK Development — an affiliate of real estate company Racebrook Capital — signed a 32-year lease for the property with the New Jersey agency that runs JFK and the Port Authority of New York.
