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Dec. 17 - Dec. 23, 2021
TAKING FLIGHT Hochul unveils massive $9.5 billion JFK Terminal One airport megaproject
BY DEAN MOSES
Governor Kathy Hochul unveiled
a grand vision on Monday,
Dec. 13, for New York and
how people from around the
world will access it, including a
brand-new JFK Terminal One.
“We plan with that announcement
here today to
transform JFK Airport into,
I’m told to say, ‘One of the top
airports in the world.’ I don’t
know why I can’t say the best
airport in the world,” Hochul
said, beaming from her
Midtown office on Dec. 13.
The proposed $9.5 billion
JFK Terminal One will boast 23
new gates and will be the largest
international terminal at
a whopping 2.4 million square
feet; it will replace the current
terminals 1 and 2, and the
former Terminal 3 site.
The jaw-dropping production
is not only set to be the
world’s largest international
terminal in terms of sheer
scale, it will also have the distinction
of being the largest private
investment ever committed
to a U.S. airport terminal.
“We are so interconnected
with the rest of the globe. We
want people to come from all
over to find themselves right at
the doorstep of New York. So,
they find the opportunity to go
here, visit New York, visit our
friends in New Jersey, see upstate
New York and continue
their journey across this nation.
But come here first and
we have 23 new international
gates. It’s going to be extraordinary.
We plan to be able to handle
over 20 million customers a
year. That’s incredible as well,”
Hochul said.
A rendering of JFK Terminal One Rendering via Governor Hochul’s offi ce
Pending Board approval,
the Port Authority is set to finalize
the new terminal’s lease
and construction as soon as
this week. The project will be
privately financed by a consortium
of labor, operating and financial
partners, and designed
by AECOM Tishman.
Construction on JFK Terminal
One will begin on or about
mid-2022, and potentially completed
in phases — with 14 gates
built by 2026, five more by 2028
and the project finished by 2032.
“But when it is done, it’ll be
an experience that is worthy of
the name New York, and worthy
of the name John F. Kennedy.
And as John Kennedy once
said, ‘Every accomplishment
starts with a simple decision
to try.’ We’ve done that. We are
more than trying. We’re going
to get it done. And I thank everyone
who’s part of reimagining
New York state as a whole,
our transportation hubs, our
infrastructure opportunities. I
am so proud to be able to help
lead this state into a whole new
era and it starts with announcements
like these and we’re going
to continue to unlock New
York state’s full potential,”
Hochul said.
The JFK Terminal One project
also aims to simplify the airport
roadway, making arrivals
and departures a seamless experience.
It also includes public
art installations; family-friendly
amenities such as play areas
and green space; extensive
lighting from the high ceilings;
and green features for sustainability
using electric ground
service equipment to reduce
diesel fumes.
In addition to the creation of
a new terminal, Port Authority
Executive Director Rick Cotton
shared that this endeavor will
deliver on its multiyear commitment
in southeast Queens
reinvestment, increasing work
opportunities, educational programs
and small businesses.
This project alone, he said, will
be a major contributor to the region’s
economic recovery, with
more than 10,000 local jobs and
over 6,000 union construction
jobs.
“Today’s announcement
really is a historic one. And it
is, as the governor said, a vote
of confidence in JFK Airport.
It is a vote of confidence in the
recovery of air traffic in a post
pandemic world. And it is an
enormous vote of confidence in
the future vitality of New York
and New Jersey, the entire region,”
Cotton said.
Queens Borough President
Donovan Richards and Congressman
Gregory Meeks, both
of whom serve on the JFK Advisory
Council, were also in
attendance for the historic announcement.
Applauding the
governor for the jobs that they
believe the terminal will bring
to the borough they serve, the
officials believe the plan will ensure
Queens serves as the link
hub that connects travelers.
Vol. 9 No. 51 40 total pages
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