Louisville Regional Airport Authority officials, along with local community leaders, celebrated the recent completion of public space improvements to the Louisville International Airport as part of the Terminal Enhancement Project. The project includes more than $9.5 million in aesthetic improvements recommended by community visioning groups, aimed at enhancing the travelers’ experience.
“What you see here is the culmination of a focused, three-year effort involving broad community input,” said Jim Welch, Chair of the Airport Authority Board of Directors. “Our goal was to enable the traveling public to experience the essence of what makes our community unique and special. We are indeed pleased with the result.”As part of the Terminal Enhancement Project, the majority of the terminal’s 185,000 square feet of “public space” was renovated, with design work echoing the community visioning groups’ two-part theme – distilling great experiences and setting a higher standard – to reflect the spirit of Louisville.
“In many ways, Louisville International is really the front porch of our city,” said Mayor Greg Fischer. “And whether we’re saying ‘Welcome’ or ‘Welcome home,’ these renovations send the message that we’re a first-class city and a proud community.” With these improvements, the more than 3.4 million travelers who fly in and out of Louisville International each year will be greeted with a bright, open and welcoming space that includes new flooring, escalators and local representation of the city.
“For many visitors coming to Louisville, the airport is the first impression they get of the city,” said Karen Williams, President and CEO of the Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau. “The new terminal enhancements, all consciously made to spotlight what is authentically Louisville and Kentucky, tells our arriving guests that they have arrived in a community that takes pride in its local businesses, brands and culture.” Major improvement elements as part of the Terminal Enhancement Project include:
• New terrazzo floor and carpet
• Four new core escalators connecting baggage claim to ticketing
• Improvements to the connector area between the security checkpoint and concourses
• Installation of new representative community images and other graphics
• A Meditation Room
• New LED lighting systems
• New wall treatments
As part of the project, food-and-beverage operator Host International, Inc. of Bethesda, MD and gift-and-news retailer Paradies-Lagardère of Atlanta, GA, are investing more than $9.3 million combined in new or remodeled food outlets and retail shops. (This includes an initial combined investment of more than $8.5 million, with an additional $800,000-plus in combined improvements at the mid-term of the agreement.) Work on the initial improvements is expected to be complete in early 2017.
