LaGuardia Airport’s $4 Billion Terminal B Renovation Now Complete
LaGuardia Airport’s $4 billion renovation of Terminal B is finally complete. Governor Kathy Hochul, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Executive Director Rick Cotton and Chairman Kevin O’Toole, and LaGuardia Gateway Partners CEO Frank Scremin were present for the ribbon cutting ceremony. “We have literally gone from worst to best and I love it,” Hochul said.
The completion and the opening of LaGuardia Terminal B’s western skybridge, and the opening in December of Terminal B’s second concourse, means that every arriving and departing passenger at Terminal B will experience newly built, 21st century architecture and facilities from gate to curb. All of the terminal’s temporary walkways will now be taken out of service by Saturday, Jan. 29. With the completion of the second pedestrian bridge, which will span an active aircraft taxiway, Terminal B also becomes the world’s first airport with dual pedestrian skybridges.
Terminal B was awarded UNESCO’s Prix Versailles in December as “Best New Airport in the World” by a blue-ribbon panel of international architects assembled by the United Nations agency. The new terminal includes 1.35 million square feet of new terminal facilities and features 35 gates, a 3,000-car parking garage, and new covered, convenient pickup facilities for both taxis and ride-sharing vehicles. The terminal offers best-in-class retail, vast dining experiences, stunning art and amenities that provide customers with a world-class 21st century travel experience.
The terminal has a new American Airlines Admirals Club, which will span more than 20,000 square feet. Chase will also open one of its Sapphire Lounges at the terminal as well.
Related roadway improvements and supporting infrastructure were all built while keeping the terminal fully functional during construction. With the interior work at Terminal B now completed, the remaining small portion of the old Central Terminal Building has been removed from service and will be torn down, with demolition expected to be completed by spring 2022.
The Terminal B is part of a massive $8 billion reconstruction of the Queens airport launched by former Governor Andrew Cuomo in 2015. That plan initially included a new rail connector, which probably won’t happen. More construction is underway at the airport, as Delta Air Lines is working on overhauling Terminal C to the east, which Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton said will wrap up this spring.
