Phoenix Facelift
Renovation transforms Terminal 4 with more changes to come under AEP
Developed in the late 1980s, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport's (PHX) Terminal 4 epitomized what Paul Blue calls the "last generation of airports." The PHX Assistant Aviation Director for Business and Development said the Terminal, albeit cutting edge in its day, just missed the airport-as-a-mall concept that is consistent with the current philosophy of airport design.
Low, 10-foot-high ceilings were matched by equally low lighting levels and concourses were very much dominated by airline activity in PHX's busiest terminal. Relatively minimal food and beverage options were available, or as Blue describes it, "cocktail glasses with swizzle sticks represented food and beverage as a brand." But following a multi-year renovation effort, the airport terminal of the past is no more.
The first major efforts became apparent five years ago with HMSHost undertaking branding additions on the concourses to provide "something more than just hot dogs."
New food and beverage concepts range from local to national to appeal to the wide range of clientele. The terminal comprises 75 percent of Sky Harbor's activity serving as both a US Airways hub as well as a high-traffic gateway for Southwest. Terminal 4 is also international in nature with six common-use gates serving the likes of flag carriers Aeromexico, British Airways and WestJet. Diverse dining options include El Bravo Mexican Food, Yoshi's Asian Grill, Starbucks and Wendy's.
Food and beverage branding was followed by a full facelift of the passenger level of the lobby. Terminal 4's layout includes seven concourses attached to a single large passenger processor with baggage claim on the first floor, ticketing on the second floor and the passenger gate level on the third floor.
"The third floor went through a big renovation where we essentially took the space back to the bare walls," Blue recalled, noting utility lines and air conditioning ducts were moved in order to open up the structure and heighten the ceiling up to 15 feet. "There is a five-story parking facility over the top of the terminal, so in some cases we went right up to the garage structure above it." Aesthetically, the facelift included new ceiling and elevator corridor treatments and the installation of hard surface flooring - mostly a combination of tile and limited terrazzo - where there was previously carpet. Native Arizona materials including red sandstone seen in North Central Arizona and Sedona is used as an accent as well as natural habitat animals and cactus icons representative in artwork throughout the building.
A sense of place is apparent not only in terms of the art and materials choices made, but also in the selection of retailers. Where there were once 16 retail shops, there are now 44 throughout the terminal building.
"Our theme is about being in Arizona - what is authentic and representative of the local community and state," Blue said, noting Pueblo Spirit, a Heard Museum Store, is a prime example. "We really view this as our front door to this part of Arizona and we want to encourage our passengers to go out and see the rest of it.
"We added more food and beverage with branding, significant new retail opportunities and the new environment for both is bright and lit well," Blue said. "We have a passenger experience that people in the local community are proud to call their airport."
Airport Enhancement Program
By and large, the T4 renovation is complete barring some sporadic openings of final units. As such, PHX is looking ahead to more than $2 billion in developments under the umbrella of the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport Enhancement Program.
PHX Assistant Aviation Director Carl Newman said of the variety of improvements recently receiving Federal approval, the biggest on the horizon is a 4.7-mile, landside automated people mover (APM) system. The APM is being planned in conjunction with a local light rail system running 23 miles in length from Tempe to Phoenix.
"We're one of two airports - Sky Harbor and Los Angeles International Airport - in the country's top 16 that currently do not have an APM system of some sort," Newman said.
Stage 1 of the APM has been previously approved. It will carry passengers from the east economy garage and to Terminals 4 and 3. The new Federal approval allows for connection to Light Rail and a continuation from Terminal 3 to the new West Terminal and the rental car center. Sky Harbor is currently evaluating the available systems and potential usage of the APM system. Design options are being developed and subject to Phoenix City Council and airport stakeholder approval.
"We want to make sure we get great value, so we are working to reduce the cost. We have some work to do with our airline business partners to figure out exactly how we're going to get it all done," Newman said. "We have Federal approval to build the APM, so we just need to figure out how to build it at this point." Also on tap is a brand new, 33-gate facility anticipated for completion in the 2012 timeframe. Currently using the working name of the West Terminal, this building will replace existing Terminal 2, the least active and eldest of PHX's terminal buildings built in the early 1960s.
"Terminal 2 has very few gates. There will be more in the West Terminal Complex," Newman said. "But one of our challenges is going to be offering new facilities as convenient as Terminal 2." Despite its age, customers using Terminal 2 rave of the facility's park-and-go setup.
"They park right across the street and are in the building and at the ticket counter right away. People love it from that standpoint. The new building will have to build in the capacity that is needed, but also keep that great passenger convenience. That is going to be the biggest challenge."
Sponsor
Associated with the new West Terminal is roadway and taxiway work. Sky Harbor Boulevard will be modified on the west side of the airport to provide access to the new West Terminal and improve overall traffic flow at the airport.
"We are one of the few airports in the country where you can drive in one end of the airport and drive out the other end of the airport without having to turn around and go back the direction in which you came," Newman said. "So we are going to work on the West end of the airport to get the roadways lined up to prepare for the West Terminal."
The construction of two new cross taxiways and some apron work will also allow for more efficient aircraft operations.
Further into the future
Newman said PHX is in the process of buying 400 acres of land north of the airport. Within the next 15 years, Sky Harbor would like to own or control 3,500 acres, 3,000 of which would be within the fence. "We are not in the position of Dallas or Denver in terms of available land, but I think we do have some options to help future needs as they arise," he said.
Also forward looking, Newman shared plans of collaboration between Sky Harbor and Williams Gateway, the two commercial airports in Central Arizona. "There is enough traffic to go around in the next 30 years that we think it makes sense to provide some relief to Sky Harbor," Newman said. "Physically, we won't be able to serve increased cargo activity and additional general aviation activity. We tend to see more of those types of activity migrating, even in terms of the base of those activities being served today. One of our integrated cargo carriers may move to Williams."
Newman said the timeline is hard to pinpoint, but in terms of passenger traffic, the impact will be in decades rather than years. Williams Gateway currently has scheduled service to Las Vegas and is talking to a number of carriers to increase their offerings.
Sky Harbor Service Initiatives
Regardless of construction activity, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport Acting Aviation Director Danny Murphy cites customer service as PHX's highest priority.
"Our projects are all designed to continue to make us the best and friendliest customer service airport in the country - that is our primary goal here," he said. "All of those things are designed to really enhance the customer side of the traveling public and their use of Sky Harbor." Murphy's deputy, PHX Assistant Aviation Director Carl Newman, explained that, "we do a number of different things to make the transition of these facilities a little easier."
Newman said the first of many examples that comes to mind is the Stage & Go Lot, a 90-space cell phone lot with the added amenity of a newly installed Daktronics electronic flight information display system (FIDS) board presenting flight arrival information.
"Even a guy with my old, tired eyes can see when the flights are in from the back of the lot," Newman said of the 10-foot-by-20-foot board. Also drawing upon FIDS-platform capabilities is a Sky Harbor's visual paging system. The Paging Assistance Location (PAL) was designed to assist all passengers in receiving pages throughout the terminals by making the page visual as well as audible.
"It is relatively new, and at this point, I believe we are the only airport in the country that has a visual paging system at the airport," Newman said of the ARINC system. "We continue to do normal audio paging, but we also place names up on the visual paging system, which we believe to be a great feature to help those who are hearing impaired or otherwise unable to hear the audio paging. In most terminals, you can't go more than 1,600 feet and you are running into one of the paging screens."
To navigate security, PHX supplies their clientele with Sky Slippers and Traveler Totes.
"People love the Sky Slippers, also known as footies," Newman said. "We have a very clean airport, but people still aren't readily inclined to take their shoes off and walk through the facility. The Sky Slippers make it much easier for them to do that and accommodate the Transportation Security Administation requirements.
"In addition to that, we have Traveler Totes for folks that have to empty their pockets while going through the security checkpoints. We also have complimentary emergency kits for people who get stuck here for whatever reason that include a wash cloth, shaving cream, deodorant, toothbrush and toothpaste, and comb."
The Boneyard near Terminal 4 and the Paw Pad neighboring Terminal 3 help to accommodate furry friends visiting Sky Harbor, and free Wi-Fi pacifies those who want to connect to the internet as they travel through Phoenix. And if all else fails, passengers can seek assistance from the more 500 Navigators, a group of volunteers that provide information and directions to those who appear to be lost or needing help.