Today, Mayor Mitch Landrieu and the New Orleans Aviation Board announced that the New Orleans International Airport will undergo a five gate expansion in its north terminal, increasing its gates from 30 to 35.
In January of 2016, construction workers broke ground of the north terminal complex. The new complex will serve as an economic driver for the New Orleans metropolitan area, according to the Office of the Mayor.
Mayor Mitch Landrieu is looking forward to the financial opportunity the terminal expansion will provide.
“This gate expansion is great news for our city and state,” said Mayor Landrieu in a prepared statement. “We are growing at a record pace. In 2016, the growth of the Louis Armstrong International Airport exceeded our expectations yet again.”
Once completed, the new terminal will be 820,000 square feet, holding 35 gates and a 2,200-car parking garage. Additionally, the new terminal will hold a central utility plant and a ground transportation staging area. The project is expected to be completed by 2018.
The anticipated cost of the funding is $110 million, which Mayor Landrieu accounted for in his 2017 budget. The overall cost of the north terminal totals to $917 million, Nola.com reports.
According to Nola.com, the New Orleans Aviation Board is taking proposals from developers to fill 9,400 square feet of shopping space. Potential retailers include pacific Gateway Concessions, Hudson Group, Marshall Retail Group, and Paradies Lagadere,