The City of Denver and Denver International Airport (DEN), along with Ferrovial and its partners of Great Hall Partners (GHP) celebrated the start of construction of the Great Hall Project at Denver International Airport with a groundbreaking ceremony at the Jeppesen Terminal.
The project is the City’s first public-private partnership and it is leaded by a consortium made up of Ferrovial Airports, JLC Infrastructure and Saunders Concessions. The construction and refurbishment work will be carried out by Ferrovial Agroman and Saunders Construction.
The agreement calls for Great Hall to design and build over three and a half years, followed by 30 years of operations and maintenance within specific commercial areas of the terminal, including approximately 50 retail and restaurant units.
The project, that will make substantial improvements to Levels 5 and 6, will enhance security, provide a more flexible and open airline check-in space and add new dining and shopping options. It will also increase capacity of the terminal, update the facilities and improve the overall passenger experience at DEN.
Specifically, the project will:
- Enhance safety and security by relocating the TSA screening checkpoints from Level 5 to Level 6 and implementing new, state-of-the-art “automated security lanes” and a new queueing concept that will reduce lines and wait times
- Increase capacity of the terminal to accommodate future growth to 80 million passengers
- Make better use of technology and space in airline check-in areas
- Create a new meeting/greeting area at the south end of the terminal, which will serve as a new “front door” from the plaza to the airport
- Develop a new international passenger welcome center with seating, food money exchange and retail just outside of the Customs and Border Protection area
- Improve food and retail offerings throughout the terminal
- Upgrade infrastructure and systems in the terminal, including heating and cooling systems, escalators, elevators, restrooms and security
- Increase curbside drop-off capacity, including addition of an express drop-off location adjacent to the TSA checkpoints for passengers without bags to check
Construction of the Great Hall will take place in four phases with some preparation work already underway. The first phase of construction, which is scheduled to continue until spring 2019, will mainly take place in the center of the terminal and will not impact security screening or check-in processes. The first three phases will take approximately 10 months each. The final phase about 12 months. Key milestones will include:
- Mid 2019: First phase of new check-in counters open and the first phase of the new commercial area
- Early 2020: All remaining new check-in counters open with all airlines in their final locations
- Late 2020: New TSA passenger screening areas open
- Late 2021: Construction completion, including all the new commercial areas
The anticipated cost to design and build the project will range from $650-$770 million. Great Hall Partners made an initial investment of $258 million that will be repaid over time through a combination of installments from the airport and a 20 percent share of the concession revenues from new shops and restaurants. They will also invest additional funds over time for renewal and replacement. DEN will also reimburse Great Hall Partners for operating and maintenance costs over the 30 years.
The Great Hall Project is expected to create 400-450 construction jobs, more than 800 permanent jobs and generate an additional $3.5 million in annual taxes and general fund revenue for the City of Denver.
For more information about the project, visit the Fly Denver website.
