Major Contract Awarded to Edmonton Construction Firm Central Hall Construction Begins August 1st

Edmonton – Construction of Central Hall, the third phase of Edmonton International Airport’s $300 million Air Terminal Redevelopment (ATR) Project, will commence August 1st , Edmonton Airports President and CEO Scott Clements said today.

“I am pleased to announce that Edmonton Airports has awarded the $43-million construction contract of Central Hall to Edmonton-based PCL, who has a reputation for construction excellence across North America,” states Clements. “PCL successfully completed Edmonton Airports South Terminal–the feature of Phase II of the ATR Project–on time and on budget. We look forward to working with PCL to deliver Phase III of our redeveloped airport to the community.”

Ric Forest, Vice-President and District Manager of PCL Construction Management Inc., welcomes the opportunity to continue serving Edmonton Airports, as PCL (which leads the PCL-Maxam Joint Venture) has been involved in three major projects at the airport in the past four years, including the South Terminal and the design-build parking structure.

“The timing of this project is excellent,” he adds. “We’re able to reassign our 40-person concrete crew from the $36-million Information Communications Technology Centre at NAIT, to the Central Hall project at the airport.”

PCL has coast-to-coast expertise in the airport market. In addition to having completed major projects at the Denver and Vancouver international airports, PCL is currently working on the $1.8-billion Lester B. Pearson International Airport redevelopment project; the new $175-million Ottawa International Airport terminal; the $13.5-million Saskatoon International Airport redevelopment project; and the $82-million design-build airport interchange at the Fort Lauderdale International Airport.

On a separate contract, demolition crews with Bird Construction are already tearing down the former Canada and US Customs & Immigration area – in preparation for the start of construction. At its peak, the Central Hall project will employ 250 construction workers.

During construction, terminal users will continue to use temporary corridors connecting the South and North Terminals. The construction of Central Hall will not cause any other disruptions to public movement.

The focus of Edmonton International Airport’s Air Terminal Redevelopment Project continues to be delivering outstanding customer service. Central Hall represents a key component of this vision, and will be the people centre; the crossroads of all passenger movement. It will contain centralized security, food and beverage services, ground transportation services, retail and a first-in-Canada centralized short-haul “Commuter Concourse.”

Scheduled for completion by late spring, 2003, Central Hall will be a two-level, 17,000 square metre building located between the South and North terminals. The upper departures level will feature a 30-foot curved ceiling, plenty of natural light, and design features that will speed travellers along their way.

Security for the entire airport will be centralized in Central Hall, with five checkpoints designed for fast, efficient movement.

The new Commuter Concourse, designed specifically for short-haul regional aircraft will jutt out from the Central Hall building towards to the airside apron area, just 40 metres past centralized security. It will feature a large, open holdroom with a view of apron operations (aircraft maneuvering area), and escalator access to ground-level passenger corridors leading to 6 gates. The facility is expandable to ten gates.

“For the business passenger who spends a lot of time on commuter flights, and for northern travellers connecting from Edmonton International Airport to other destinations, the Commuter Concourse will be an efficient time saver,” says Clements. “In fact, if travellers take advantage of Valet Park, they will only be about 85 paces away from the first commuter gate when they drop off their vehicle,” said Clements.

Once Central Hall is integrated with the existing terminals and the temporary walls in the terminals come down, passengers will find that current airline check-in counters are already positioned adjacent to the centralized security area. Central Hall will also include an additional 14 Air Canada positions.

Central Hall’s open-concept holdroom will seat 600. An indoor observation area will overlook both the holdroom and allow travellers to watch aircraft movements on the airport’s two main runways.

Food and beverage services will include CARA’s Jasper Mountain Brewery restaurant, Team Spirits Lounge, Harvey’s, Swiss Chalet, and a Tim Horton’s with a wonderful view overlooking airside operations. A Duty Free store and a bookstore will also be located in the facility. Specialty retail will also be incorporated in Central Hall.

On the arrivals level, a Ground Transportation Services centre will connect passengers with shuttle buses, taxis and limos.

Central Hall’s design features will continue the prairie harvest colour and textural themes, as well as the wing-effect overhead lighting concept, established in the South Terminal.

Design features will save considerable money on air conditioning, which is required year-round in terminal buildings because of solar heating through large expanses of glass. Central Hall’s basement will contain a huge, 3 million liter chilled water storage tank. The water will be cooled at night when electrical rates are low, then used for air conditioning during the day, when electricity hits its price peaks.

Completion of Central Hall and related projects will bring us to 80% completion of the $300 million Redevelopment Vision announced in February 1999. Future projects will be considered for approval and timing by Edmonton Airports Board of Directors later this year.

PHOTO OPS: Excellent airside photo opportunities of demolition work currently underway are available through the contact noted below.

INTERVIEWS: Interviews with Mr. Scott Clements, President and CEO of Edmonton Airports, and Mr. Ric Forest, Vice-President and District Manager of PCL Construction Management Inc., are available through the contact noted below.

Backgrounder – Air Terminal Redevelopment Project

The original Air Terminal Building was built in 1963 and designed to accommodate 2.5 million passengers. During the period of 1995 to 1999, passenger traffic grew 41%, to 3.8 million movements per year. In 2000, passenger numbers grew by 3.9%, and during the first quarter of 2001 passenger numbers were 10% higher that the first quarter of 2000.

Phase I: Parkade – February 1998 to December 1998
Cost: $42 million, of which the Parkade represents $21.5 million

Completed on time and on budget, the Parkade has a capacity of 1,800 vehicles, including rental cars. The facility can be expanded in the future with the addition of three more levels, which would double current public parking capacity.

Phase I also included a new parking toll plaza, realignments in the entrance road from Highway 2, and new overhead signage. Elsewhere at the airport, Phase I included a 5,650 square metre apron expansion, replacement of the roof over the original (North) Terminal’s holdroom and over ticket counters.

Phase II: South Terminal Expansion – February 1999 to December 2000
Cost: $127 million, of which the terminal represented $75 million

Phase II involved construction of the 24,000 square metre South Terminal, now housing all of Air Canada’s check-in facilities, as well as the transborder flight check-ins for Northwest Airlines, Horizon Air and Canada 3000. The apron to the west of the terminal was expanded, the elevated departures level roadway was widened, and a second pedestrian bridge to the Parkade was built. New departure gates were added, and new Canada and US Customs & Immigration facilities constructed. The terminal, along with various, related secondary projects, was completed on time and on budget.

Phase III: Central Hall – August 2001 to Late Spring 2003

The 17,000 square metre Central Hall, located between the South and North Terminals, will integrate the air terminals and offer passengers a new level of comfort and efficiency. Central Hall will house a centralized security area, conveniently located near airline check-in counters. It will also feature a centrally-located Commuter Concourse, directly beyond security, to minimize the distance commuter passengers must walk to their flights, or to connecting flights. Its open-concept holdroom will seat 600. Central Hall will also contain food services and retail outlets, a departures-level ground transportation services centre, and an observation area overlooking holdroom and the airport’s two main runways