ST. LOUIS — ºüÀêÊÓƵ Lambert International Airport planners have received initial federal approval for an estimated $2.8 billion plan to consolidate its two terminals into one new, single passenger concourse and replace the parking garage with a larger version, among other improvements, officials announced Wednesday.
The Federal Aviation Administration approved the airport’s master plan laying out changes designed to meet an anticipated increase in air travel demand, plus stakeholder and public input calling for a more streamlined passenger experience, more parking space, a simpler roadway, and more concession and retail offerings.
The master plan reaches through 2040, when airport officials predict serving about 21 million passengers a year — an increase of roughly 34% over 2019, the most recent peak year for travel before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
Construction is far off, however, as are more detailed designs. The FAA approval is conditional on an environmental review over the next year and the airport will have to negotiate leases with airlines. If successful, Lambert officials could issue a request for proposals for a firm to begin drawing up architectural designs in 2024, Airport Director Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge said Wednesday.
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The changes are “not a done deal,†but airlines have been supportive of the plan for a new, more efficient terminal with gates better suited to modern aircraft, she said.
“They see the need,†Hamm-Niebruegge said.
The calls for turning the existing Terminal 1 into a new, larger concourse for all passenger traffic with 62 gates instead of the 54 scattered across Terminal 1 and Terminal 2.
The current ticketing area, a hallmark since the terminal opened in 1956, would be reconfigured and connect to the new concourse with one, large security checkpoint that would replace the current two. The four iconic domes atop the ticketing area would be renovated.
Terminal 2, which opened in 1998, would be repurposed for another use to be decided at a later date. The terminal is currently used by Southwest Airlines, Lambert’s dominant carrier.
The plan also calls for a new, larger parking garage in place of the existing garage and road improvements around the airport and off Interstate 70.
The new terminal could increase space for concessions and retail by about 60%; the new parking garage could have as many as 8,000 spaces, up from the current 2,000 spots, Hamm-Niebruegge said.
The estimated $2.8 billion cost would be offset with a combination of bond sales repaid by airline fees, increased revenues from the additional parking, concession and retail sales, federal grants and existing passenger facility charges tacked on to airline tickets.
The FAA requires every airport to develop a master plan and update it every eight to 10 years.
Switching to a single terminal also was recommended in a 2012 Lambert master plan and in 2019 by a group of consultants hired by a city panel that explored leasing Lambert to private companies and using some of the revenue to upgrade the airport.
Then-Mayor Lyda Krewson in late 2019 abruptly stopped that process, citing a lack of broad support, including from the business community. Mayor Tishaura O. Jones is a longtime opponent of privatizing Lambert.