San Francisco Airport Gets $15M in Stimulus Funds

Terminal project to generate 600 construction jobs

The San Francisco Bay Area and air travelers will soon reap the benefits of a new airport terminal. Thanks to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, San Francisco International Airport (SFO) has received $31.85 million in stimulus funds, $15.3 million of which will be used for a new terminal.

“Terminal 2 (the former SFO International Terminal) was closed in December 2000 when the current International Terminal opened,” said Michael C. McCarron, Director of Community Affairs at San Francisco International Airport. “The original plan was to renovate and convert the facility into a domestic terminal.  Unfortunately, the events of Sept. 11, 2001 and the following downturn in traffic and revenue tabled those plans.”

The news that SFO would receive stimulus funds came from the Department of Transportation and the Department of Homeland Security in early June. This news couldn’t have come any sooner.

“Two years ago, a new carrier, Virgin America, took to the skies. SFO and the city and county, as well as the greater Bay Area, worked diligently to ensure Virgin America would call SFO home,” said McCarron. “Currently, Virgin America is operating in the International Terminal but it has plans to expand extensively over the next few years.” The airport wanted to be ready, and now it will be. The project is scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2011.

According to airport, the terminal will improve the customer service experience. “Travelers passing through Terminal 2 will benefit from using a state-of-the-art facility that should obtain a LEEDS Silver Certificate”, said McCarron. Other features of the new terminal are:

• The first airport dining program in the country to recruit Slow Food vendors—offering wholesome food grown locally and prepared in a healthful manner.
• Unique retail including a marketplace and spa
• New commissioned artwork, reinstallation of previous T2 artwork.
• A user-friendly designed “Meeter and Greeter Area”
• A “Passenger Recomposure Area” after the security checkpoint area.
• Two 500-square foot Children’s Play areas.

The travelers are not the only ones who SFO expects will benefit from the new terminal. The airport estimates that 600 construction jobs will be created for work directly related to the terminal construction. Additionally, the project is important to the Bay Area community as well. 

“The Bay Area Economic Forum estimates that a domestic carrier at SFO with just 10 flights a day (70 a week), flying 140-150 seat capacity aircraft generates 3,891 jobs,” said McCarron. “Of these jobs, 1,692 are directly located at the airport and the remaining 2,199 are associated with the visitor and travel industry.” Currently, more than 1,000 Bay Area residents are employees of Virgin America. As the airline expands into the finished terminal, SFO hopes that this number will grow.