(The Center Square) – The Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is undergoing a $356 million construction project to expand its Terminal 3.
Of the $356 million, $326 million will go toward the terminal’s concourse, Gregory Roybal, PSHI’s public information manager, told The Center Square. A concourse is an open space at an airport where travelers can access other flights. Concourses can feature stores, restaurants and lounging areas.
Roybal said the expansion project at the 3,400-acre airport is integral to its 20-year master plan and update.
“The goals in the master plan and update overall are aimed at improving efficiency through various capital improvements to ensure comfortable terminals with access to attractive amenities and services,” he said in an email.
Terminal 3 will expand the number of gates, which will help the airport handle more travelers and “accommodate additional flights,” said Patty Johnson, founder of Connections Marketing & Communications. Her company handles public relations for McCarthy Building Companies Inc.
Johnson said the terminal’s expansion will add 173,000 square feet of space.
The expansion design will include “provisions for a future tunnel connection to Terminal 4,” Johnson told The Center Square in an email.
She added that these extra square feet would let travelers access the “upper mezzanine level with lounge space and an exterior terrace as well as easy access between the various levels and optimizing passenger flow with moving walkways and elevators.”
Furthermore, Roybal said Terminal 3’s concourse will have “six or seven narrow-body aircraft parking positions with the ability to park one wide-body aircraft or two narrow-body aircraft at two locations.”
Johnson said the project is expected to be completed in 2027.
Regarding the economic impact, Roybal called the airport Arizona’s “largest economic engine” and said this project will create job opportunities. He said it will also provide construction jobs and new business opportunities once the concourse opens.
“The concourse will feature new shops, restaurants and a lounge. This includes plans for a specialty boutique-style retail store and a news, gift and convenience retail store,” Roybal said.
“The proposed food and beverage spots include two quick-serve restaurants, a coffee café and a full-service restaurant with bar. New concessionaires equate to new opportunities for continued employment,” he added.
Johnson said McCarthy Building Companies Inc. has a team already in place to manage the building project. She added that the company will hire subcontractors and trade partners to finish “specialized scopes of the project.”
According to the city of Phoenix, PSHI has an “annual economic impact of more than $44 billion.”
Johnson said the building company has an extensive plan to “minimize disruption for passengers and airport workers” during this construction project.
“The project will involve working around existing utilities, which are mapped out by the team prior to construction activity on the site to ensure non-disruption and tie-ins are completed appropriately,” she explained.
Roybal said the construction will occur in an area travelers don’t use. He also said PSHI does not expect “roadway disruptions.”
The city of Phoenix says on a typical day, the airport has over 130,000 passengers and handles more than 1,000 tons of air cargo.
