Central Hall Opens at Edmonton International Airport
Edmonton — On November 15, 2003, Edmonton International Airport will mark the first operational day of the new Central Hall, which links the airport’s North and South Terminals. Central Hall represents the completion of Phase 3 of Edmonton International Airport’s Air Terminal Redevelopment (ATR) Project.
Regional economic growth, air service growth, and increased passenger traffic volume led to the implementation of the ATR Project, which began in 1998 with the construction of a four level parkade and other general airport improvements.
“The goal of the ATR project is to meet the growing needs of the customers and communities we serve,” said Scott Clements, Edmonton Airports President & CEO. “The completion of Central Hall will help us support the current and future passenger and air service growth at Edmonton International Airport.”
In addition to providing integrated, efficient security screening, the 221,000 square foot Central Hall provides 27,000 square feet of new retail, food and entertainment services aimed at offering travellers and other visitors to the airport world class dining and shopping opportunities. Many of these new food, beverage and retail services will be located post-security so travellers can enjoy them while they wait for their flight departure. New retail outlets include Indigo Books & Music, Roots trademark clothing, AerRianta International Duty Free and Laugh n’ Learn toy store. New food and beverage services include Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Sbarro Italian Restaurant and Harvey’s serving Swiss Chalet.
“The addition of these new services is in direct response to what our customers told us they wanted from their airport,” added Clements. These services will open in phases over the next several months.
A new brand to celebrate the importance of the new services to the airport will accompany the opening of Central Hall. Discover the Energy invites travellers to ‘discover’ and experience the ‘energy’ of the airport’s new shops and services. As well, Central Hall will feature a dynamic Festival City theme as an expression of the airport’s support for the Capital Region’s internationally renowned cultural events.
Central Hall represents a $96 million investment. The ATR Project is funded through the $15 Airport Improvement Fee (AIF), collected from passengers departing from Edmonton International Airport. The ATR Project continues to contribute to the region’s economy. It has provided over 1,400 jobs, wages of $89 million and is one of the largest construction projects in the area.*
Edmonton Airports is a not-for-profit organization mandated to manage the region’s airport assets on behalf of and in the best interest of the Capital Region.
* Source: The Economic Impacts of Edmonton International Airport, 2002