Consultants suggest creating tour area at Juneau Airport
Creating an area to arrange tours and redesigning the intersection off Shell Simmons Drive are part of a proposal to renovate the Juneau Airport, consultants told the Airport Board Wednesday.
A tour facility would help funnel groups of passengers into and out of the terminal, said Boris Loobkoff of Leigh Fisher Associates in San Francisco. Tour operators could collect passengers and assist them with any last-minute problems and guide them to their destination. Also, a tour facility could serve as a storage area for tourists who need to leave a hotel in the morning but do not have a flight until later in the day.
Redesigning the intersection could reduce traffic congestion and improve flow, Airport Manager Allan Heese said.
Airport Board members cautioned against an expensive plan and made a motion to move forward on a renovation instead of building a new terminal facility.
Board member Ronald Swanson suggested the board embrace the best facility it can afford and said it must weigh maintenance costs.
The board must consider attempts to move the capital from Juneau when investing money into a terminal, board member Gordon Evans said. If Juneau builds a new terminal and the capital is moved, the city would be left with a "white elephant" similar to Kmart, Evans said.
Board member Tom Williams suggested private-sector investment in a parking garage could reduce the city's financial burden and free up funds for the renovation.
A parking garage operated by a private company in cooperation with the city is uncommon but feasible, said Dan Ochse, a principal with Leigh Fisher Associates.
The airport has already identified about $50 million in capital improvement projects over the next six years, Ochse said. Cost estimates for renovation work to the terminal have yet to be determined, he said.
Possible funding sources including federal, state, city and passenger facility charges, Ochse said.
The airport terminal was originally constructed in 1948 and has had renovations and additions over the past 50 years.
The airport board hopes to decide on a concept in the spring, followed by design work, Heese said.
• Tara Sidor can be reached at tara.sidor@juneauempire.com.