INDIANAPOLIS | Indianapolis International Airport | Com

[cwilson758]

Many may not be aware, but Indianapolis is currently building a brand new aiport terminal that is slated to open in late 2008. This will be the first new terminal in the USA constructed since September 11. The aiport is not being funded by any tax dollars. All costs have been raised by landing and take-off fees as well as a good ol' raping of the Airlines.

Here are some facts:

http://www.newindianapolisairport.com/index.shtm

The New Indianapolis Airport:

Midfield Terminal Project

Largest development initiative in the City of Indianapolis’s history ($1.1Billion)
Virtually a new airport
New FAA Tower is the 3rd tallest in the United States
Located within 16 minutes of downtown
Will have direct highway access from Interstate 70

New Passenger Terminal Building

Total area – 1.2 million Square Feet
500 feet of terminal frontage on 1000-foot, 2-level curb front
“Civic Plaza” – large pre-security gathering and concessions space with 200-foot diameter skylight
Domestic baggage claim area 73,000 SF
Central baggage processing area 145,000 SF
Number of domestic gates 38
Number of international/domestic gates 2
Length of each concourse 1,300 FT
Width of each concourse 100 FT
1,100 doors
10,000 light fixtures
11,000 tons of steel (including concourses)
Moving walkways 10
Elevators 23
Escalators 10
Ticketing hall maximum height 82 FT to roof
Civic Plaza height 60 FT to roof
Concourse departures level maximum height 30 FT to roof
The Terminal will be constructed with a future light-rail/train terminal for Indy's new transit system.

Art At The Airport:

The New Indianapolis Airport will feature a variety of stunning artwork, ranging from shimmering glass walls, to eye-catching murals in glass and mosaic, to colorful designs created in terrazzo flooring. Artists selected to produce the artwork bring a wide variety of cultural backgrounds, artistic media, and international experience with public art to the project.

Ticketing Hall

Located at the departure level of the Terminal
Four islands of check-in counters, each island has up to 24 counter positions, twelve on each side
96 counter positions
16 curbside check-in positions

Gates

Each concourse provides access to 20 gates
Aircraft gates can accommodate a complete range of narrow-body and wide-body aircraft, including regional jet aircraft with passenger boarding bridge access.
Inboard gates can accept narrow-body aircraft up to B757
Outboard gates can accept both narrow-body and wide-body aircraft (B767, B787 and B777 aircraft)
2 international gates on the south concourse (Concourse A) can accommodate one A380 aircraft

International Facilities
24,220 SF Federal Inspection Services (Customs) Area
6 Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) positions
Can process 400 passengers per hour

Domestic Baggage Claim
Located on lower level
6 slope-plate baggage claim devices at 200 LF each
2 dedicated areas for over-sized baggage
15 Airline baggage services offices

Baggage Handling System
Baggage check-in configured as an island check-in system, with four islands each comprising two ticket counter conveyors
100 percent in-line baggage screening system

Security Provisions
Two passenger security checkpoints with space for 22 screening lanes
Access Control Devices and CCTV Surveillance at points of access to the secured terminal building and the AOA (Air Operations Area)
300 feet clearance separation between terminal building and parking structure/surface parking

Electronics
Digital Video/Closed Circuit Television system interfaced with Fire Alarm and Access Control system for verification and response to alarms
Access Control system with more than 350 security related doors and points
If all of the Flight Information Display monitors for the facility were combined into a single screen, the screen would be 18 feet tall and 43 feet wide. The gate podium displays could be combined into a screen that would be 11 feet tall and 31 feet wide.
Integrated Visual Information Display System
Integrated Voice Paging system
Integrated Energy Monitoring and Control System
Facility supports wireless equipment throughout the terminal area

A 250-room, 5-story Westin Hotel will also be built with the new terminal and that is expected to break ground at any day.

http://www.newindianapolisairport.com/galleries/renderings/EXT4.jpg
http://www.newindianapolisairport.com/galleries/renderings/111504_render_model_sm.jpg
http://www.newindianapolisairport.com/galleries/renderings/EXT2.jpg

http://www.newindianapolisairport.com/flythru.shtm

The Current Airport:

Located 797 feet above sea level
Occupies approximately 7,700 acres (about 12 square miles)
Terminal has 33 gates, approximately 673,000 square feet of space
Served by 10 major and 19 national/regional passenger airlines
Has the nation’s second largest Federal Express hub, which accounted for much of the 1.13 million tons of cargo handled last year, the 8th largest amount in the nation and 20th largest in the world.
Parking garage has 1,800 spaces. Surface lot has 450 spaces, remote lots have 6,665 spaces and Business Class 1,450. Corporate Connection lot has 550 parking spaces. Total parking capacity - 10,915 vehicles.
More than 9,000 men and women work at the airport.
Indianapolis International Airport Runways: Number Length (ft) Width (ft)
5L/23R 11,200 150
5R/23L 10,000 150
14/32 7,280 150


2005 Airport Statistics:

The airport handled 8.52 million passengers
Had 194 daily passenger aircraft departures (average)
Had 39 non-stop destinations (average)
Conducted 222,275 operations (landings and take-offs)
Handled 5,521,198 tons of landed weight
Handled 1,136,545 tons of mail and cargo.

[kcmetro]

Looking forward to seeing the finished product. When I was there last year the terminal seemed old and worn out, so I'm sure this will be a nice addition to Indy. When did they start construction, because when I was there last May/June, I didn't see any work going on.

[ragerunner1]

This is going to be a great new front door for the City and Central Indiana. Now if we can get the mass transit line built from the terminal to downtown that would be a major step forward.

[cwilson758]

It was U/C then. The project is in the middle of the two runways, so unless you were/are looking for it from the plane, it is tough to see.

[cwilson758]

Sorry, I should have added this dynamic photo of the progress:

http://www.newindianapolisairport.com/galleries/webcam/large.jpg

[brewcityfan]

That just makes me sooo envious. If only Milwaukee had that ability! Nice looking project.

[NaptownBoy]

Sorry, I should have added this dynamic photo of the progress:

http://www.newindianapolisairport.com/galleries/webcam/large.jpg
Great idea for a thread. What an impressive picture...it's moving along faster than I thought!

From my understanding two stages of the project are already completed: the all-new I-70 interchange and the air control tower/weather service office.

[CorrND]

Great idea for a thread. What an impressive picture...it's moving along faster than I thought!

From my understanding two stages of the project are already completed: the all-new I-70 interchange and the air control tower/weather service office.
Hell yeah, much faster than I thought as well. One problem is that they revealed over the weekend that construction of the roof has been on hold for over a month while they've been trying to figure out why some beams shifted. As opposed to the Central Library debacle, it sounds like this error will be covered by insurance and they think it won't set the project back (I'll believe that when I see it).

---------------------

March 3, 2007
Work on roof at standstill
For more than 1 month, officials have tried to pinpoint why massive beams shifted
By Karen Eschbacher

Work on much of the new airport terminal's roof has been halted for more than a month as project managers try to figure out what to do about two massive steel beams that shifted during construction.

Officials insist the problem will not push back the $1.07 billion project's opening, scheduled for late 2008, and that any costs associated with the incident should be covered by insurance.

But project managers at Indianapolis International Airport still have not finalized a plan to address the problem and don't know what caused the steel to move.

"We don't know why things shifted," John Kish, project director, told the Indianapolis Airport Authority board Friday. "Something happened that wasn't supposed to happen."

The problem occurred Jan. 24 as crews were trying to jack a giant steel beam into place so it could be connected to the web of steel that makes up the roof structure.

Something went wrong, and the temporary shoring tower used to support and lift the steel column crumpled near the top, causing the truss to drop about 16 inches, Kish said. That movement caused another nearby truss to drop the same distance.

The beams are about 110 feet long and weigh about 25 tons. They are 70 feet off the ground.

No one was injured.

Kish said the goal is to figure out how to safely get the beams back into place and determine whether other parts of the roof were damaged. Project officials will then look into what caused the problem.

To that end, the airport project has hired KCE Structural Engineers of Washington to review recovery plans proposed by the steel contractor and subcontractor, Cives Corp. and Ben Hur Steel Erection.

Kish said engineers are "close to figuring out a repair."

The plan will essentially involve placing additional shoring towers in strategic locations and using them to jack the beams.

Allyn Kilsheimer, KCE's president, said he is also inspecting steel connections to see how many welds and bolts must be repaired.

Asked how serious the problem is, Kilsheimer said, "That's one of the things I'm evaluating. . . . It certainly didn't affect the whole roof."

"Everything is always possible, but I would hazard to say the chances of having to replace steel are very minimal, if at all," he said.

Until the problem is fixed, 100-by-200-foot areas on two floors beneath the beams are off-limits, and roof construction in the main terminal is at a standstill.

That has pushed back some other tasks.

Work on a glass wall in the front of the building had to be stopped, and crews cannot pour concrete in the terminal floor, for example.

Even so, Kish said, the problem shouldn't delay the opening.

That's in part because it happened in the winter, when construction tends to slow down.

He said some contractors weren't scheduled to be working in the off-limits area anyway, or have been reassigned to other parts of the building.

The steel contractor, for example, is doing work in the building's concourses until it can resume work on the main terminal roof, said Ed Hole, the resident construction manager for Hunt/Smoot Midfield Builders, which is coordinating construction for the project.

About 300 workers are still on the site, Hole said.

Once the roof problem is fixed, construction managers will adjust the overall schedule to make up time lost, Kish said.

"It's a significant incident affecting the flow of the work," he said. "These things happen in construction projects. The construction manager is working with contractors to get work re-sequenced."

The incident will have costs associated with it, but Kish said he is "very confident" they will be covered by insurance. The policy has a $100,000 deductible.

Some contractors have already notified project managers that they plan to file claims to recoup losses caused by schedule interruptions. Kish could not say Friday how many contractors have filed notice. The notices, expected to be covered by insurance, do not yet outline how much money is being sought.

In addition, the extra engineering work could carry a significant cost, but Kish said that should be covered by insurance as well.

The initial contract with KCE Structural Engineers was for $200,000, but the final cost for the firm's services "may get into seven figures," Kish said.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007703030509

[exit_320]

That just makes me sooo envious. If only Milwaukee had that ability! Nice looking project.

We're already in the process of expanding our airport...

[brewcityfan]

We're already in the process of expanding our airport...

No on the scale as Indy's though. I do remember hearing rumors of ours getting a new terminal but who knows.

[UWMilwaukeeJay]

No on the scale as Indy's though. I do remember hearing rumors of ours getting a new terminal but who knows.

Mitchell Airport has a nice terminal for the most part. It may not be big big like Atlanta style, but it serves its purpose. If we get more traffic and more passengers we may need one. Now if lightning strikes and airtran buys out midwest...our airport may expand! IMO. Indy has alot more gate competition and traffic compared to Milwaukee. A new terminal would be sweet though nonetheless.

[CorrND]

Mitchell Airport has a nice terminal for the most part. It may not be big big like Atlanta style, but it serves its purpose. If we get more traffic and more passengers we may need one. Now if lightning strikes and airtran buys out midwest...our airport may expand! IMO. Indy has alot more gate competition and traffic compared to Milwaukee. A new terminal would be sweet though nonetheless.
True. Plus the way Indianapolis Airport has developed, the current terminal is quite a ride away from the farther runway. The new terminal is being built between the two main runways, promising to reduce the taxiing for all flights.

The new I-70 interchange should be a nice upgrade too!

[NaptownBoy]

A lot of people don't realize that for all practical purposes, the city is literally building an entirely new airport, instead of just merely an expansion. I remember reading at the project website how there's going to be a four-hour window between the time the old terminal "closes" and the new terminal "opens". The taxiways will be all that remain.

[UWMilwaukeeJay]

Proving Indy is a redneck hub lol ;)

[moochie]

Can anyone find the links to all the artwork that will be installed? That's my favorite part of the entire thing. I especially like the kinetic "breathing" parking garage sculptures.

[KM1410]

Can anyone find the links to all the artwork that will be installed? That's my favorite part of the entire thing. I especially like the kinetic "breathing" parking garage sculptures.

http://www.newindairport.com/art_at_comm.shtm

[OSUBucks#1]

The interactive light dots on the pedestrian bridge seem like they are going to be really sweet. The artwork, overall, seems like it will be really cool. Also, the architecture of the terminal seems like it might be a new step for the city, architecturally. See what happens when they actually have a competition with firms outside of Indianapolis. We do need to push for this a little bit more. It allows for more interesting design.

[cwilson758]

I think that this airport is really going change Indy for the better. Of all of the projects that Indianapolis has successfully developed over the last 20-30 years, this one should really get people to stand up and take notice. Obvioulsy, this will be Indy's gateway and will instantly force an impression on those who come here. Our current terminal is bad. Poor lighting, low ceilings, and basically a hodge-podge of additions. This new facility will be twice the size of the current terminal and will have tons of natural light, lots of art, and room for major expansion if needed.

We are going big time too...we will have moving walk ways like the big cities :)

[Unionstation13]

I like the new terminal, the current one is an eyesore.
Does anyone have any shots of what the interior is supposed to look like when finished?

[CorrND]

I like the new terminal, the current one is an eyesore.
Does anyone have any shots of what the interior is supposed to look like when finished?

http://www.newindianapolisairport.com/galleries/renderings/INT1.jpg

http://www.newindianapolisairport.com/galleries/renderings/INT3.jpg

http://www.newindianapolisairport.com/galleries/renderings/INT2.jpg

http://www.newindianapolisairport.com/galleries/renderings/111504_render_civic2_full.jpg

http://www.newindianapolisairport.com/galleries/renderings/111504_render_civic3_full.jpg

http://www.newindianapolisairport.com/galleries/renderings/111504_render_civic_full.jpg

http://www.newindianapolisairport.com/renderingsb.shtm

[kcmetro]

^^
Very nice. Indy's answer to the Sprint Center. :)

[moochie]

http://www.newindairport.com/art_at_comm.shtm

I can't seem to find that artwork...

Meh. It appears the links don't work.

[k2h]

http://www.ibj.com/html/detail_page.asp?content=865

[miltown]

wow!!!!! that airport looks great. it makes me want to see milwaukee's airport rebuilt

[cwilson758]

Mansur lands airport hotel
$50 million-plus project at midfield terminal still faces design, financing, timing issues
http://chicago.ibj.com/repository/ibj/2007/03/12/43/Img/Pc0430200.jpg

The Indianapolis Airport Authority has tapped Mansur Real Estate Services Inc. to develop a $50 million-plus Westin hotel at the new midfield terminal. But the hotel’s final design may be one submitted by a former competitor.

Indianapolis-based Mansur was one of three groups to offer proposals last fall. White Lodging Corp. of South Bend wanted to build a Marriott, and Indianapolis’ KMI Realty Advisors Inc. pitched a Hilton for the site.

Project director John J. Kish said White Lodging has dropped out of the running, and the Airport Authority is working out a deal with Mansur. Raleigh, N.C.-based Concord Hospitality Enterprises Co. would be part owner and manage the operations.

“We thought their … financial plan was the most feasible,” Kish said.

Kish and Mansur President Charles R. Cagann declined to disclose the financial details, saying the project budget and any Airport Authority contributions are still under discussion. But Cagann did say the project likely will cost more than $50 million.

“I think this would be a predominantly privately financed project,” Cagann said. “What the discussion is about now is what condition the site will be delivered in. … We’ve made a specific proposal. They may have plenty to say about that.”

Hotel construction projects increasingly rely on public money to be viable, and one consultant thinks Mansur would need at least $10 million in assistance if the airport hotel comes in at $60 million.

With that level of aid, a four-star hotel connected to the terminal could succeed even though on-site lodging is unusual at a non-hub airport, said Rob Hunden, president of Chicago-based Hunden Strategic Partners Inc., a firm that consults on hotels and convention facilities.

Any project funding from the Airport Authority would come from its budget, composed of revenue from airport operations and some federal monies.

A subsidy totaling about 17 percent of the project cost would be slightly less than public incentives connected to other recent hotel projects. City officials awarded incentives equal to about 24 percent of the Conrad Indianapolis’ construction costs, and a draft agreement for a new convention center hotel promises contributions equal to almost 20 percent of those expenses.

White Lodging is among the developers collaborating on the $250 million convention center hotel complex, and KMI—a corporation owned by veteran local developer Al Kite—built the $100 million Conrad.

While Mansur is poised to lock up the airport hotel deal, Airport Authority members actually preferred White Lodging’s design proposal, which was developed by the Chicago office of St. Louis-based Hellmuth Obata & Kassabaum Inc. and locally based CSO Schenkel Shultz. The Authority is negotiating with that group’s architects to use its design.

Kish said White withdrew its airport hotel proposal after it won the city contract to build the 1,000-room convention hotel near Victory Field. Messages left with White officials were not returned.

Mansur proposed building a 250- to 300-room, four-star Westin, with the number of rooms dependent on final financing plans. It will have at least 15,000 square feet of meeting space, a full-service restaurant and bar, and concierge service. Average room rates will be about $150 a night.

The hotel will be situated directly in front of a five-level, 7,000-spot garage connected to the new airport terminal. As cars approach the airport, drivers will pass by the hotel on the way to the garage or ticketing.

Cagann said the project will take about 16 months to complete, so talks must be finalized by summer to get the hotel ready for the terminal’s late 2008 debut. But Kish said it’s still unclear whether the hotel and terminal will open simultaneously.

“I don’t know how likely that is at this point,” he said.

The Indianapolis Airport Authority, a government-appointed board that oversees six local airports, also is spearheading the $1 billion terminal project. That project does not include a subsidy for the hotel, but Authority members wanted a hotel to go along with the new terminal.

Nationwide, airport hotels do well, according to data provided by Hendersonville, Tenn.-based Smith Travel Research. Nationally, they enjoy about a 71-percent occupancy rate—better than the overall occupancy rate of 65 percent.

Occupancy near Indianapolis’ airport—an area that includes hotels in Speedway—was 57 percent in 2006, Smith Travel Research found. That compares with a 60-percent occupancy rate in the overall Indianapolis hotel market.

Even so, a 2004 report commissioned by the Airport Authority concluded that the market could support a meeting-focused hotel of at least 250 rooms. But offering more meeting space can cut into the bottom line, Hunden said.

A meeting-focused hotel for the Indianapolis airport might be a stretch, he said, because they’re still rare in non-hub cities.

Even around busier airports like Chicago Midway, he said, hotels are mostly limited-service brands like Hilton Garden Inn and Holiday Inn Express that offer only small, but well-booked, meeting rooms.

This isn’t Mansur’s first foray into hotel development. The company did a $40 million renovation and expansion of the 423-room Omni Severin Downtown Hotel in 1987, “back before anyone thought it was a good idea to have a hotel downtown,” Cagann said.

The group also was involved in the early site work for the Conrad Indianapolis before selling its interest, and assembled the property now occupied by the Hampton Inn Downtown. •


This is a great project for the aiprort. To me this says that the Airport Authority will really be aiming to get IND a hub for someone. The new facility is really a plan for the future. There is going to be a light rail station, the ability to nearly triple the size of the 2 concourses, and now this Westin that is not common for non-hub airports.

I love the design. It really makes the airport one cohesive project. I know it really isn't cutting edge and could be better, but I really like it. But my biggest complaint is that this project's design is being more scrutinized by decision makers than the convention center hotel. How can the Airport Authority understand the concept of a good design over a group that is supposed to be shapping how our downtown is developed????

[cwilson758]

Let's see if this pic is better


http://cms.ibj.com/UploadedFiles/UploadedFiles/865/Slide.jpg

[runway whore]

i went to new york last fall in septemeber and i departed from indy... and i remember taking off and seeing how amazing this airport looked in the early stages.... it had a lot of frame work up more like an external skeleton... lets just say it was a site i would never forget when we took off..and it is quite massive to.. A+ for indy on this one.. i can't wait to see it completed.. and be apart of flying out of it... i will feel honored...

[k2h]

Mansur lands airport hotel
I love the design. It really makes the airport one cohesive project. I know it really isn't cutting edge and could be better, but I really like it. But my biggest complaint is that this project's design is being more scrutinized by decision makers than the convention center hotel. How can the Airport Authority understand the concept of a good design over a group that is supposed to be shapping how our downtown is developed????



Who are the "decision makers"? I've always been curious. Who has their ear?

[arenn]

You might find this blog post of interest:

http://advanceindiana.blogspot.com/2007/03/its-all-so-cozy-in-barts-little-world.html

[arenn]

More info:

http://advanceindiana.blogspot.com/2007/03/clarians-odle-has-stake-in-airport.html

[cwilson758]

I don't know how I feel about that nlog.

[arenn]

Like everyone who's on a holy crusade, it's difficult to know if Gary's blog helps or hurts his cause, whatever you think of it. But I think he's a great source of the dirt on some of these political shennanigans. That's pretty much why I read him.

You almost have to be a little over the top to be a blogger. IndyU, Advance, Frugal Hoosiers, Biddle, etc. all have their own unique takes on the blogger style. It's almost the expected mode of discourse if you will.

[KM1410]

Airport roof beams will be repositioned
Work will begin today at new terminal project to fix 2 steel beams that dropped 16 inches

Work will begin today to fix a steel problem that has largely halted progress on the new airport terminal's roof for two months.

Two giant, steel roof beams unexpectedly dropped about 16 inches on Jan. 24 as workers were trying to negotiate them into place. Construction was stopped underneath and around the beams while engineers devised a plan to safely put them back in place.

Contractors were expected to begin installing four new shoring towers today to support the beams and replace towers that were damaged when the trusses moved, said David Dawson, a spokesman for the new terminal project at Indianapolis International Airport.

In mid-April, other towers that double as giant jacks will be used to put the trusses back in the proper position, Dawson said.

The beams are about 110 feet long and weigh about 25 tons. They are 70 feet off the ground.

KCE Structural Engineers of Washington, a consulting firm hired by the airport project, is continuing to evaluate the roof to determine whether any welds and bolts were damaged, Dawson said. The firm is also investigating what caused the incident.

In the meantime, other work has continued on the terminal.

Airport officials have said they expect costs stemming from the incident to be covered by insurance and not add to the project's $1.07 billion budget, and that the terminal will still open in late 2008.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007703260396

[kangaroo1]

You might find this blog post of interest:

http://advanceindiana.blogspot.com/2007/03/its-all-so-cozy-in-barts-little-world.html


Arenn, I know you are posting the blog link simply to provide a different perspective, but I think people reading this blog (and any blog) really need to consider the source.

First, the supposed "juicy gossip" about Fall Creek Place which the blog discusses was actually the subject of no less than three detailed articles in the Indianapolis Star awhile back.

Second, most of the comments posted are simply partisan attacks riddled with misstatements of fact, and many of the remarks are just bizarre tirades. I am fine with individuals having their own point of view and political agenda, but a blogger should make the effort to be semi-coherent and factually accurate, or at least be upfront when they do not know the facts.

As an example of a well-written blog, I would note that I very much enjoy reading your blog on urban planning and development.

[KM1410]

Airport expects art to make big impression
Array of visuals should grab attention of city visitors

Since the mid-1990s, cities have been trying to take advantage of a captive audience by incorporating major public art installations into airport expansion projects.

Long before Indianapolis began forging an ambitious public arts plan for its midfield terminal project, airports in Miami, Denver and Washington, D.C., commissioned millions of dollars’ worth of statues, mosaics and fountains.

Smaller airports, such as Austin-Bergstrom International in Texas, which is on par with Indianapolis in terms of passenger counts, also have latched onto the trend.

When Austin rebuilt its airport in 1999, it set aside $365,000 for art, according to Megan Crigger, administrator of the city of Austin’s Art in Public Places program. Advertising revenue at the airport supports additional commissions, including a $250,000 contract for a memorial sculpture in 2002.

“Airports are busy places,” Crigger said, noting that commissioned art has to be on a large scale to grab people’s attention. “You have to get people to pause and experience the gateway of a city and give them a clue about where they’re about to visit. It’s critical to creating a sense of place.”

Public art efforts at Indianapolis International Airport’s new midfield terminal will easily outpace Austin’s commitment. And unlike most airport art programs that take place in localities with local ordinances requiring a percentage of construction costs go toward art commissions, Indianapolis International Airport’s $3.89 million commitment was voluntary.

“[Typically], if there isn’t a percent-for-art ordinance, you just don’t have a lot of people voluntarily doing it,” said Julia Muney Moore, public arts administrator for Indianapolis-based Blackburn Architects Inc.

The Airport Authority contracted with Blackburn to line up the art commissions and consult on passengers’ experiences at the new terminal. At just under 1 percent of total construction costs, Indianapolis’ commitment is roughly in line with other cities’ mandated programs.

“Art has been part of the development from the beginning, not just an afterthought or an accessory,” said John J. Kish, project director for the new terminal, which is slated to open by late 2008. “It was important for the project to communicate to travelers the importance of arts and culture for the Indianapolis region.”

It’s a concept that’s been around for years, according to Michael Rushton, a professor of public arts administration at Indiana University. Take, for example, New York City’s leading position in the arts world and the beauty of its Grand Central Station.

“It’s an issue of civic pride,” Rushton said. “Your airport is your front door and you want it to be welcoming.”

Some of the final works will go up at the new Indianapolis terminal as early as next month. But the artist-selection process started in 2004 when Blackburn oversaw a general call for artists to submit qualifications, including examples of past pieces, a resume and artist statements.

A panel of seven judges screened more than 500 applicants, winnowing the field to just 52 and eventually to 18 projects proposed for specific sites. From there, 15 artists received commissions to do work for the first round of installations, slated to debut with the new terminal.

With more than a year and a half to go, some of the pieces are already making their way to Indianapolis.

Panels for British-based artist Martin Donlin’s enormous glass murals were hand-blown in Germany and shipped to Minneapolis where they’ll be shipped to Indianapolis and installed in April.

Painted bronze pieces for the whimsical piece “Baggage Claim” by Brooklynbased artist Ron Baron are being cast in
Spencer, a small city about an hour southwest of Indianapolis. And at least one plum contract is yet to be awarded. Eighty-five artists put in spe- cific proposals for an artwork and landscape design to cover a seven-acre site at the entryway from Interstate 70 to the airport, almost two miles from the new terminal.

Moore said the field has been narrowed to six candidates, and the group has one artist it heavily favors, but it has yet to nail down a contract.

Backers hope there will be many waves of commissions for permanent works and temporary exhibits at the terminal. Blackburn has scouted 56 locations in the building and on the grounds and marked them as prime art opportunities. Moore said the plan is to set up a separate not-for-profit by the end of this year to take donations to keep the art presence growing and to make sure travelers are continuously wowed.

“The airport’s a gateway,” Moore said. “We want to give people a good impression so they understand that Indianapolis is a very arts-aware and arts-friendly city.”

Greg Charleston, president of the Arts Council of Indianapolis, agreed.

“It will be a major addition to public art in the city and be the first thing most visitors see when they come to town,” Charleston said. “It tells you a lot about the community and makes the city unique.”

Charleston said that once the terminal is open, the council would include airport art in promotional materials. The project is already creating some buzz in the public arts world because of its price tag alone.

“With that kind of budget, everybody’s going to be watching,” said Austin’s Crigger.

Keira Amstutz, administrator of the Indianapolis Cultural Development Commission, helped pick the artists and said the city is pleased with both the Airport Authority’s commitment and the results.

“This will be a great opportunity to promote Indianapolis,” Amstutz said. “There are going to be some very iconic pieces of work that will become part of the regular stock images used for Indianapolis.”

And though the works aren’t up for view yet, the project is already helping lure visitors to the city. The International Sculpture Center has committed to bring its 2009 national conference—themed “airport as site”—to Indianapolis.

And the city is lobbying to host the American Association of Airport Executives’ annual conference about public art in airports in 2008 so they can take peers on a hard-hat tour before the terminal opens.

http://chicago.ibj.com/Repository/getimage.dll?path=IBJ/2007/03/26/17/Img/Pc0170300.jpg

http://chicago.ibj.com/Repository/getimage.dll?path=IBJ/2007/03/26/24/Img/Pc0240300.jpg

http://chicago.ibj.com/Repository/getimage.dll?path=IBJ/2007/03/26/24/Img/Pc0240200.jpg

http://chicago.ibj.com/Repository/getimage.dll?path=IBJ/2007/03/26/25/Img/Pc0250300.jpg

[arenn]

kangaroo, thanks for the kind comments on my blog.

I agree that many blogs are muckraking at times. Unfortunately, with the low quality of local media outlets, they are sometimes the only way to find out about various shennanigans going on. Clearly, any information coming from a blog should be treated as reader beware, however.

[cwilson758]

I can't wait until the new airport opens. The art will be great and will be a nice experience for those moving about the facility.

I realloy hope that the City is able to lure more direct flights and hopefully Northwest will continue to expand on our "mini-hub" status and actually use IND for international flights to Europe...but that is a very long shot.

[unvrsty07]

Airport terminal safe to resume construction

Work will resume Monday at the new Indianapolis International Airport terminal in areas restricted for nearly three months after a pair of steel support beams in the roof collapsed in January.


Richard Potosnak of Aviation Capital Management told the Indianapolis Airport Authority at its monthly meeting today that crews this week finished jacking up the roof structure to extract four support towers damaged on Jan. 24 when two 25-ton beams fell about 16 inches as workers were maneuvering them into place.

A computer model analysis indicated the area was safe enough to allow workers to return to the area, located in the northwest quadrant of the terminal.

“Starting Monday we’ll be able to open up for construction to all the trades,” said Potosnak. “And, as we speak, they’re actually fabricating four more construction shoring towers of twice the (support) capacity, which will allow us to move the steel trusses back into the position they were supposed to.”

Although some construction time was lost, work continued in other areas , and Potosnak told the board the terminal is still on schedule to open in late 2008.

John Kish, director of the New Indianapolis Airport Project, added that the costs stemming from the incident are expected to be covered by insurance and not add to the project’s $1.1 billion budget.

[cwilson758]

oh..now they have "collapsed." Before they had just "shifted."

I flew in and out this past week and the new airport looks MASSIVE! I can't wait for this to open!

[CorrND]

Artists will make new midfield terminal a gallery for those on the go
By S.L. Berry and David Lindquist

Indianapolis International Airport's new midfield terminal -- described as a "highly refined machine" by its designer -- will get an artistic personality next week.

A colorful glass mural created by British artist Martin Donlin is scheduled to be placed in the wall of a concourse Monday or Tuesday, the first of 16 works of art to be installed at the terminal.

Terrazzo floor designs and kinetic sculptures will accent the facility when it opens in late 2008, as well as Asian lacquer paintings and bronze benches that resemble pieces of luggage.

All but two of the pieces are tied to Indiana history or culture.
Donlin, for example, incorporates the text of Indiana poets in six of his 14 murals -- which range in size from 9 feet wide by 12 feet tall and 18 feet wide to 24 feet tall.

The cost for all of the art will be $3.94 million, part of the airport's $1.1 billion construction budget.

The goal is to provide memorable viewing experiences for the 10 million passengers expected to pass through the terminal annually, said Julia Muney Moore, public arts administrator for Blackburn Architects, the architectural consultant for the project.

"The airport is the major gateway to the city," Moore said. "It's the first place people see when they get off a plane."

Airports in South Florida and Denver have led a movement to mix aesthetics and travel. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport uses futuristic installations to engage visitors, while Denver International Airport rotates exhibits in a format similar to that of an art museum.

In Indianapolis, local pride appears to be a theme. The roster of artists features seven from Indiana, including sculptor Dale Enochs.

He used limestone taken from a quarry near his home south of Bloomington to carve two walls that display symbols for earth, water, fire and air. "Elemental Indiana" will be placed between the central part of the terminal, known as the civic plaza, and the ticketing area.

"This is about the alchemy of Indiana," he said. "The reason I work in limestone is that I live here. . . . Limestone is a humble stone. It's not sexy like marble or polished granite. It's humble and forgiving, a lot like the people who live here."

When the airport unveiled plans for the terminal in 2003, project designer Ripley Rasmus of architectural firm Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum said the building would be efficient in terms of foot traffic, security and energy use.

But some observers say the design -- dominated by a rounded, sky-lit roof -- lacks a bold streak that could bring positive attention to Indianapolis.
Local architect Jim McQuiston wonders whether travelers will be able to distinguish the terminal from similar facilities in other cities.

"The gently arched roof is a motif that we've seen around the world and around the country many times," said McQuiston, adding he would like to see the terminal in person before judging its architectural merits.

While McQuiston said the inclusion of public art is a positive move, he said paintings and sculptures have limited influence.

"The great buildings of our society are complemented by artwork, but they are not made great by the artwork that's inside them," he said.

Moore predicts the collection of art will present a colorful contrast to the terminal's metal-and-glass structure.

"The interior design scheme will really help the artwork 'pop' and draw people's attention," she said.

Keira Amstutz, administrator of the city's Cultural Development Commission, said the mayor's office applauds the Hoosier connections in the art program. Two pieces are based on the state bird, the cardinal, and a painting depicts prairie vegetation.

"We didn't want the art program just to be pieces of sculpture that were plopped down indiscriminately around the terminal," Amstutz said. "We wanted it to be part of the essence of the building."

From the day Denver International Airport opened its new facilities in 1995, temporary exhibitions and permanent pieces of public art have been on display.

The airport strives to provide variety, said Colleen Fanning, manager of the art program, with works ranging from exhibits on blown glass to Colorado's connection to the space industry.

Having art at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport has been an important part of the local public art program since 1980, said Mary Becht, director of the Broward County Cultural Division.

The airport, 21 miles north of Miami, features works by artists from throughout the world, including video art projected on plasma screens, audio installations that mimic the sounds of the Everglades and LED doorways that change color when people pass through them.

Becht said purchasing and maintaining the art is funded by a program that mandates that 2 percent of the county's construction budget be allocated for public art.

"Our airport is under constant building and growth," Becht said, "so it's a constant process of bringing new art to the airport for each new project."

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070428/LOCAL/704280513

[hoosier]

From the 4/28/07 IndyStar:

espite a setback that halted work on the roof of the new terminal at Indianapolis International Airport, the $1.1 billion project is on schedule to open in late 2008, according to project director John J. Kish.


On Jan. 24, a pair of 25-ton steel roof beams unexpectedly dropped about 16 inches as workers were maneuvering them into place. Work resumed Monday in areas that had been restricted since the incident.

"That truss issue really kicked us back in terms of putting up steel, but we worked on other things through it all, and we'll make up the lost time," said project spokesman David Dawson.
Work on the terminal building is focusing on enclosing the structure, including placement of a 200-foot diameter skylight and the windows and walls that will wrap around the 1.2-million square-foot building. Workers are also building an elevated roadway leading to the terminal's departure level.

"Once the terminal is enclosed, we'll start working on the interior stuff -- the dry wall, all the interior finishes," said Dawson. "There's still a lot of wind blowing through there now."

Construction on the new terminal, located midfield between the two airport's runways, began in July 2005.

"If it's practical to open by the second week of November (2008), we'll open it," said Dawson. "If that timing slips to the beginning of the holiday season, then we'll just jump over to January.

"We wouldn't want to try to make this transition from the old terminal to the new one during the holiday season. The change is going to be instantaneous. Saturday night you'll fly out of the old terminal and Sunday morning you'll fly into the new one."

According to Kish, work on the New Indianapolis Airport Project, which began in 2002, is approximately 45 percent complete and that 88 percent of the project is under contract.

In addition to enclosing the terminal, another priority will be exterior work on a new, five-level parking garage with 5,900 public spaces and 1,200 spaces for rental cars, said Dawson.

The last major piece of the project will be a hotel adjacent to the parking garage. The airport authority is negotiating a contract with Mansur Real Estate Services of Indianapolis, which has proposed a 120,000-square-foot Westin hotel.



Nearly two years into the project and the terminal is only 45% complete? Come on guys, pick up the pace!!:ohno:

[cwilson758]

Did anyone catch WTHR's "Inside the New Airport" last night. I hope I have linked this properly.

http://www.wthr.com/global/video/popup/pop_player.asp?ClipID1=1425982&h1=Airport%20terminal%20art&vt1=v&at1=News&d1=123533&LaunchPageAdTag=News&activePane=info&playerVersion=9&hostPageUrl=http%3A//www.wthr.com/Global/category.asp%3FC%3D23903%26nav%3Dmenu188_2&rnd=75420299

Just click "play" when the page opens.

[KM1410]

some new construction pics:

http://cmsimg.indystar.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Avis=BG&Dato=20070510&Kategori=LOCAL18&Lopenr=705100802&Ref=PH&Item=1&MaxW=500&MaxH=400&Q=60
Glass artist Martin Donlin stands with his glass mural, titled "Indiana Flight," at the new Indianapolis International Airport midfield terminal.

http://cmsimg.indystar.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Avis=BG&Dato=20070510&Kategori=LOCAL18&Lopenr=705100802&Ref=PH&Item=2&MaxW=500&MaxH=400&Q=60
The mural features a poem by Indiana poet Joseph Heithaus.

http://cmsimg.indystar.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Avis=BG&Dato=20070510&Kategori=LOCAL18&Lopenr=705100802&Ref=PH&Item=3&MaxW=500&MaxH=400&Q=60
Workers use a giant suction cup machine to install Donlin's mural at the new airport terminal.

http://cmsimg.indystar.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Avis=BG&Dato=20070510&Kategori=LOCAL18&Lopenr=705100802&Ref=PH&Item=4&MaxW=500&MaxH=400&Q=60
Martin Donlin speaks with the press in front of his "Red Streaming" glass mural.

http://cmsimg.indystar.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Avis=BG&Dato=20070510&Kategori=LOCAL18&Lopenr=705100802&Ref=PH&Item=5&MaxW=500&MaxH=400&Q=60
Donlin prepares to pose for a portrait in front of "Red Streaming."

http://cmsimg.indystar.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Avis=BG&Dato=20070510&Kategori=LOCAL18&Lopenr=705100802&Ref=PH&Item=6&MaxW=500&MaxH=400&Q=60
Construction continues at the new midfield terminal, set to open in late 2008.

[cwilson758]

I still can't believe that we will be joinging the big leagues and will "moving" walkways. I ddon't think that they are really needed as Indy isn't a major hub, so its not liker people will be constantly rushing to make connections. NWA has a few connecting flights, but we aren't a hub. This has to be an effort to keep us Hoosiers fat and out of shape :)

[CorrND]

I still can't believe that we will be joinging the big leagues and will "moving" walkways. I ddon't think that they are really needed as Indy isn't a major hub, so its not liker people will be constantly rushing to make connections. NWA has a few connecting flights, but we aren't a hub. This has to be an effort to keep us Hoosiers fat and out of shape :)
Ha! Nice one!

I wonder if they're just planning for the possibility of more connections in the future. Who knows. I'm sure the walkways are just a drop in the budget bucket.

[NaptownBoy]

Won't the new hub actually have less gates compared to the old one?

[CorrND]

Won't the new hub actually have less gates compared to the old one?
According to the stats in Cory's initial post for the thread, the current airport has 33 gates and the new terminal will have 38 domestic and 2 international gates. I don't have any confirmation of this, but I have to assume that the new concourses were also designed with future expansion in mind.

[moochie]

According to the stats in Cory's initial post for the thread, the current airport has 33 gates and the new terminal will have 38 domestic and 2 international gates. I don't have any confirmation of this, but I have to assume that the new concourses were also designed with future expansion in mind.

Look at an aerial view, and it's easy to see that 10+ gates could be added no problem. Maybe that'll happen when they finally add the new runway.

[cwilson758]

yes, this new terminal is designed with the capacity to double in size , when needed

[k2h]

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070529/LOCAL/70529035

The new Indianapolis International Airport terminal remains on schedule to open in about 18 months, officials said today.

Officials overseeing construction of the $1.07 billion, 40-gate terminal today took reporters on a tour of the facility.

The actual terminal building is about half finished. As workers continue assembling the steel structure, installing glass windows and doing other exterior work, crews are also busy inside.

The $23 million luggage conveyor system, which includes about two miles of belts, is taking shape. Retail space has been framed out. Electricity and plumbing are being installed.

"We hope to be giving the city an icon -- an image visitors will remember, that residents can be proud of," said John Kish, director of the project.

[cwilson758]

Airport courts terminal tenants
Event is informational open house for food, retail candidates for $1.1B midfield project.

http://cmsimg.indystar.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Dato=20070713&Kategori=BUSINESS&Lopenr=707130421&Ref=AR&Q=80&MaxW=500&MaxH=400&Site=BG&Q=80&Border=0&Title=0
A year away: Glass goes in at Civic Plaza, the centerpiece of the $1.1 billion dual-concourse airport expansion due to open in late 2008. - Matt Dial / The Star

By Zach Dunkin
zach.dunkin@indystar.com

You won't find sushi on the menu today at Indianapolis International Airport.




A year away: Glass goes in at Civic Plaza, the centerpiece of the $1.1 billion dual-concourse airport expansion due to open in late 2008. - Matt Dial / The Star

But if Indianapolis restaurateurs David and Maggie Lee get their wish, you will eat their famous Maui rolls and other Pan-Asian dishes when the midfield terminal opens in late 2008.
The Lees, owners of Naked Tchopstix in Broad Ripple, were among the more than 200 retailers and restaurateurs expressing interest in doing business at the new terminal during Thursday's Concessions Outreach meeting at the Radisson Hotel at the airport.
Local and national prospects listened as airport officials did their best sell-job on the 55,000 square feet of retail space available in the main Civic Plaza and the two concourses. The terminal is part of the airport's $1.1 billion construction project.
"This is a viable venture . . . a good match," said Maggie Lee. She was raised in Korea and has lived in Indianapolis since 1994.
"Of course, we understand that a lot of Midwesterners don't like sushi," said her husband, David. "But other people who are flying in here from all over the country may want it."
The purpose of the daylong meeting was to discuss the opportunities and facilities available, explain the application process and requirements, and encourage participation by minority- and female-owned businesses.
Business prospects will vie for approximately 50 storefront spaces, plus other retail opportunities at kiosks and vending areas, said Jerry Wise, assistant project director, finance, for the airport.
Contracts of the tenants at the existing terminal will expire when it closes. Those businesses will go through the same application process.
"We'll be looking for a good balance of strong local, regional and national brands. And we want to create unique concepts . . . not the same thing they are going to find in other airports," said Wise.
One possible new tenant is Paradise Bakery & Cafe, which has more than 50 U.S. stores (including two in Indianapolis, with two more planned). This would be the second Paradise at an airport, following Phoenix Sky Harbor International.
"We are very anxious to get in here," said franchise president Kirk Givens. "Our food is perfect to take on airplanes, and we do a lot of breakfast items. This airport is very busy in the morning."
Another new outsider candidate is EJE Travel Retail, a supplier of famous-brand perfume, liquor, cologne, tobacco products, jewelry and leather goods. EJE has five locations in the New York area, including the Newark (N.J.) Liberty International Airport.
"We see this as an opportunity to move some of our business to the Midwest," said Janus C. Holder, chairman and CEO of the New Jersey-based company. "We see a lot of potential here."

[IndyYeah]

I think that the new airport looks great from the pictures. The design has some balls, and even though I wish those balls would roll a few miles up the road, this terminal is great. Also, bring on the moving walkways. The city needs whatever cool things it can get! Those thing are alittle strange when some I have been on move me like 50 feet. It all reality, some people do need them. Cheers to that terminal!

[IndyYeah]

My first ex wife and daughter went to Mexico out of Indy a few months ago, and I guess it was great compared to Chicago, and the inspectors were really nice to deal with, as the bags were checked, nail polish removed, but nice and not hastle type.

[Unionstation13]

My first ex wife and daughter went to Mexico out of Indy a few months ago, and I guess it was great compared to Chicago, and the inspectors were really nice to deal with, as the bags were checked, nail polish removed, but nice and not hastle type.

nail polish?

[Paintrain]

I think that the new airport looks great from the pictures. The design has some balls, and even though I wish those balls would roll a few miles up the road, this terminal is great. Also, bring on the moving walkways. The city needs whatever cool things it can get! Those thing are alittle strange when some I have been on move me like 50 feet. It all reality, some people do need them. Cheers to that terminal!

i thought i heard LOS might get moving walkways from ICC to LOS

[IndyYeah]

nail polish?

My daughters sister brought some in her baggage that they took out.

[Unionstation13]

My daughters sister brought some in her baggage that they took out.

what harm is nail polish?

[aavmarine]

I know that they are building a new terminal, but they are keeping the old one up, right? If so, they will need some sort of light rail way to connect them both for flight like L.A. and Dallas. This is a question by the way. And here is a cool link you guys might like:

http://www.midwestmodel.com/large_airportstaging.htm

http://www.midwestmodel.com/30_indyairport.htm

[hoosier]

I know that they are building a new terminal, but they are keeping the old one up, right? If so, they will need some sort of light rail way to connect them both for flight like L.A. and Dallas. This is a question by the way. And here is a cool link you guys might like:

http://www.midwestmodel.com/large_airportstaging.htm

http://www.midwestmodel.com/30_indyairport.htm

The old terminal will be demolished, but some airport administrative buildings and parking lots will be preserved.

[aavmarine]

The old terminal will be demolished, but some airport administrative buildings and parking lots will be preserved.

Where did you hear that and do you have a link? Plus, if they do demolish the old sight, then I wonder what the city has planned for that area?

[ragerunner1]

Where did you hear that and do you have a link? Plus, if they do demolish the old sight, then I wonder what the city has planned for that area?

I have heard some talk of an office park in that location.

[cwilson758]

http://www.newindianapolisairport.com/galleries/webcam/large.jpg
http://www.newindianapolisairport.com/galleries/terminal_gallery/pan_002_lg.jpg
http://www.newindianapolisairport.com/galleries/terminal_gallery/007_lg.jpg


When does work begin on the new Westin Hotel that is planned for in front of the Parking Garage and terminal?

[Jim856796]

The 1957-built terminal has went through numerous renovations and will be demolished once the new terminal opens.

[cityfan]

Plainfield airs out I-70 development wishes
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071212/BUSINESS/71212013

By Bruce C. Smith
bruce.smith@indystar.com

Plainfield is considering measures that would prevent tall buildings and acres of parked cars around the new interchange of I-70 west of Indianapolis International Airport.

The height restrictions could prohibit tall buildings, communications towers and even trees more than 50 feet in height up to a mile from the ends of the airport runways.

And the prohibition on car rental agency parking lots along the Ronald Reagan Parkway north from the I-70 interchange is intended to keep development along the new boulevard as attractive as possible, town officials said.

The area is just west of the I-70 entrance to the new $1.1 billion Indianapolis International Airport passenger terminal building scheduled to open next year.

The council voted Monday to remove a few words from a 2006 agreement with the Indianapolis Airport Authority on how airport property along the Ronald Reagan Parkway in Plainfield would be developed. The change means that the airport-owned land — about 100 acres — can still be redeveloped for airport purposes but not include rental car storage lots.

Town Council members said Ronald Reagan Parkway is intended to draw quality economic development rather than parking lots and car agencies like those along High School Road next to the current airport entrance off I-465.

Airport Executive Director Robert Duncan agreed with the zoning restriction and said parking and car rental sites will be located elsewhere or on the airport grounds.

“We have planned to accommodate the car rentals close to the terminal. There will be about 7,200 spaces in the parking garage next to the new terminal, and 1,200 of those are for rental cars,” he said.

Even routine cleaning and service of the vehicles will be done on the airport property in a new “quick turn-around” building to be constructed, he said.

Meanwhile, airport management has asked the Town Council to approve an airspace overlay district — a special zoning area to limit the height of buildings or structures in the flight path of airplanes on landing and takeoff.

Duncan said such rules were adopted in 1962 in Marion County but apparently never enacted in Plainfield or Hendricks County. They follow federal air safety regulations.

Duncan, who has long argued for zoning regulations to limit housing and commercial development close to Indianapolis metro region airports, said the airspace district would prevent unsafe obstructions.

The proposal also could help to protect airport communications systems by limiting other communications towers.

The Plainfield Plan Commission has voted in favor of a proposed ordinance to create the airspace district, and the Town Council gave it the first of three readings this week.

[cityfan]

Hopefully the Ronald Regan Parkway will provide a much more attractive entrance to the airport than High School Road does now.

[cwilson758]

The entrance will not be off of RR Pkwy. I believe it will be off of 6 Points Rd with the new interchange.

[arenn]

There is a completely separate interchange for the Airport. You can see the ramps are basically already there, but closed off.

[andrewcahn]

http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg123/andrewcahn/2007-10-20_02.jpg

[SpiderMonkey]

Any updates on progress? Are they still on schedule?

[aavmarine]

Just to let everyone know. If you look at the aerial shot above you see I-70 and the overpass of Ameriplex prkwy. On Ameriplex (rightside of 70 where it curves on the Northside) they are building two new hotels for the airport. A Hampton and a Hilton. I'm with a concrete company who is doing both hotels. When it starts to get a little warm they will start to pour both slabs. Both seem to be pretty big. Maybe 150+ rooms each.

[IndyTypeGuy]

According to the stats in Cory's initial post for the thread, the current airport has 33 gates and the new terminal will have 38 domestic and 2 international gates. I don't have any confirmation of this, but I have to assume that the new concourses were also designed with future expansion in mind.

It isn't Cory's fault since the airport actually lists the wrong information. The current terminal actually has 34 gates.

A Concourse - 8 gates
B Concourse - 6 gates
C Concourse - 10 gates
D Concourse - 10 gates

I don't know how many years ago it was but the A Concourse had the 8th gate added. It has been at least 2 or 3 years. I'm guessing closer to 5 years ago.

The new terminal will have 40 gates. The arrangement will be 20 domestic gates on one concourse and 18 domestic and 2 international/domestic gates on the other. Each concourse can be expanded to handle an additional 10 gates giving the terminal a total of 60 gates. There is also a provision for a future detached terminal with 40 gates as phase 1 and I think it can be expanded to 60 gates. It would be an X shaped terminal. The X shaped detached terminal concept was the other option considered when the new midfield terminal was planned. It lost out for the first terminal but looks to be what the 2nd terminal would be. But that could be 20 or 30 years out.

[SpiderMonkey]

An article by Brendan O'Shaughnessy in the IndyStar indicated that the new airport terminal is scheduled to open on October 28th 2008 which should give the airport time to work out any kinks before the Thanksgiving rush.

[cwilson758]

Is the Westin Hotel U/C out there yet?

[SpiderMonkey]

I don't think that the hotel has ever actually been approved yet. I thought it was just proposed.

[IndyTypeGuy]

It was supposed to open with the main terminal. Now I wonder if they will even break ground by then.

[k2h]

Indianapolis Airport Authority approves support for new hotel

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Airport Authority today authorized a budget of up to $8.8 million for support of a new hotel to be built as part of the New Indianapolis Airport project.

A 250-room hotel, to be located just west of the new parking structure at the airport complex, has been part of the plan for the New Indianapolis Airport for several years. In September of 2006, the Authority accepted proposals for hotel development.

Since then, the Authority has held discussions regarding the scope of its participation in the financing of the hotel with the potential developer, Skyward Investments, LLC of Indianapolis. Authority Executive Director John J. Kish said today that the support authorized by the Authority board would permit negotiations on a development contract to proceed.

In addition to the financial support, the Authority board authorized the project director to act to extend utility lines on the new airport site to the hotel. At present, there is no timeline for construction of the hotel.

The New Indianapolis Airport is a $1.1 billion project that includes a new passenger terminal located between the two main runways at Indianapolis International Airport, a new parking structure, new surface parking, a new air traffic control tower, new highway access and other new facilities. The new airport is scheduled to open on October 28, 2008.

[IndyTypeGuy]

It is sad they managed to drag it out this far. The hotel should have been well under construction by now. The way things sound its probably months away from breaking ground.

[IndyTypeGuy]

Here are new construction photos from http://www.newindairport.com

Terminal front view.
http://www.newindairport.com/galleries/Terminal_2008-02-21/HPIM0203_med.jpg

"A" concourse with jet bridge.
http://www.newindairport.com/galleries/Terminal_2008-02-21/HPIM0204_med.jpg

Ticket hall.
http://www.newindairport.com/galleries/Terminal_2008-02-21/HPIM0205_med.jpg

"A" Concourse Interior
http://www.newindairport.com/galleries/Terminal_2008-02-21/HPIM0207_med.jpg

The master plan had the "A" concourse on the left side but it seems from the jet bridge sign that the "A" concourse is on the right side. Which is the way the old terminal is. So I guess that makes sense.

[ablerock]

http://www.newindairport.com/galleries/Terminal_2008-02-21/HPIM0205_med.jpg



I like the design of what I'm assuming will be the canopies over the ticket counters.

This whole area feels solid and airy at the same time. Can't wait to experience the space in person.

[hoosier]

It is sad they managed to drag it out this far. The hotel should have been well under construction by now. The way things sound its probably months away from breaking ground.

What do you expect? It's like pulling teeth to get any major project underway around here.

There are several hotels U/C and planned at the RR Parkway/I-70 interchange.

[IndyYeah]

What do you expect? It's like pulling teeth to get any major project underway around here.

There are several hotels U/C and planned at the RR Parkway/I-70 interchange.

Anything of nice building substance takes so much time in Indy. One era of life, I am sure things will get approved and construction starting quicker. I do like that terminal alot however.

[IndyTypeGuy]

New construction photos from the Indianapolis Airport Authority.

http://www.newindairport.com/galleries/Terminal_2008-5-15/HPIM0287.jpg

http://www.newindairport.com/galleries/Terminal_2008-5-15/HPIM0290_med.jpg

Panorama shot. Click to view.

http://www.newindairport.com/galleries/Terminal_2008-5-15/northtowerpanA_med.jpg

[runNgunn]

J.D. Power and Associates has released it's annual airport ratings and Indianapolis didn't do so well. (No surprises there really.) It will be interesting to see how the new terminal affects Indy's rating next year. (Indy is located in the "Small" category.)

http://www.jdpower.com/travel/ratings/airport-ratings/

[pattyco7]

J.D. Power and Associates has released it's annual airport ratings and Indianapolis didn't do so well. (No surprises there really.) It will be interesting to see how the new terminal affects Indy's rating next year. (Indy is located in the "Small" category.)

http://www.jdpower.com/travel/ratings/airport-ratings/

"Small" category? I would agree that our present terminal is tiny and compact. It is very much outdated. We should leap frog in the ratings with our new airport.

[hoosier]

J.D. Power and Associates has released it's annual airport ratings and Indianapolis didn't do so well. (No surprises there really.) It will be interesting to see how the new terminal affects Indy's rating next year. (Indy is located in the "Small" category.)

http://www.jdpower.com/travel/ratings/airport-ratings/

I am sure that the rankings will improve dramatically. The Midfield Terminal is state-of-the art.

[IndyTypeGuy]

Photo of concourse "A" taken yesterday.

http://www.indairport.org/forums/album_pic.php?pic_id=545

[runNgunn]

I am sure that the rankings will improve dramatically. The Midfield Terminal is state-of-the art.


What I think could be interesting is that the JD Power rating is based on customer satisfaction. The 2009 rating will definitely be better, but because at least five months of this rating cycle will still be based on the old terminal experience, I wonder if it will pull the rating lower than if the rating was based only on the new terminal experience. Another question is will JD Power adjust for this in some way. Of course I could be giving IND more consideration than JD Power will. At the very least, the 2010 rating will give a clearer picture.

I REALLY can not wait to get into this building! I am planning on running the NYC Marathon so I should get the chance shortly after it opens. :banana:

[cwilson758]

DId anyone catch the news blurb on WTHR about renaming the airport to Indianapolis Weir Cook International Airport? IND used to be called "Weir Cook Municipal Airport" until 1976 when the moniker IIA was created.

[pattyco7]

DId anyone catch the news blurb on WTHR about renaming the airport to Indianapolis Weir Cook International Airport? IND used to be called "Weir Cook Municipal Airport" until 1976 when the moniker IIA was created.

How about we add a few more international flights before we start calling it an international airport.

[cjfjapan]

How about we add a few more international flights before we start calling it an international airport.

It either has (or can handle) international flights, or not. IND is an international airport. Hell, even Terre Haute calls its passenger-free airport "international" - a vestige of its international customs office a few years ago.

I like the idea of renaming IND, but I wonder if we should hearken back to Wier Cook. I don't think anyone who hasn't read the memorials in the terminal knows who he was. perhaps naming the airport after a more renowned Hoosier?

We could follow the lead of Texas and name it after a political leader?

They have Bush Intercontinental, we could have

Indianapolis - Dan Quayle Field
Abraham Lincoln International Airport
Benjamin Harrison International Airport

Or,
we could follow OKC's lead and name it after a local wit & author:
James Whitcome Riley International
Theodore Dreiser Airport

Or, my favorite, like New Orleans, we name it after a musician:
John Mellencamp International
Cole Porter Field
Hoagy Carmichael International
Michael Jackson Field
Henry Lee Summer Domestic Terminal

Or, finally, we could invite corporate sponsorship:

Lucas Oil Field at Indianapolis International
Prozac Field
Eli Lilly Metropolitan Airport

My favorite of those would Carmichael International - it seems to roll off the tongue...

[SpiderMonkey]

^^
or...

Richard Lugar International
Kurt Vonnegut International ("Von International" for short)

or since we are such a "basketball crazy" state it could be called...
Larry Bird International (aka "Bird Landing Strip")

[cwilson758]

I would shrivel-up and die if it was named "Dan Quayle Int'l Airport."

Indy does have a large number of international flights, however, only a handful are passenger flights. I believe there is a direct China flight via FedEx and I know that LuxCargo flies from IND to Luxembourg, in addition to north american-bound flights.

AirCanada operates a few dailies between IND and Toronto and you can go to Mexico and the Carribean via IND

[IndyTypeGuy]

You don't need a single international flight to be called an international airport. You only need a field inspection station.

BTW how could you guys miss the most obvious name for the new airport?

Reggie Miller International Airport? I don't want to rename the airport but if it must be renamed I'd be all for that one.

[cjfjapan]

ah, new favorite - Kurt Vonnegut International Airport! I wonder what he would have said about such an honor?

[hoosier]

BTW how could you guys miss the most obvious name for the new airport?

Reggie Miller International Airport? I don't want to rename the airport but if it must be renamed I'd be all for that one.


Why not Peyton Manning Int'l. Airport?

I am being facetious. Kurt Vonnegut is a worthy namesake for the Indy Airport.

[ablerock]

Vonnegut International has a nice ring to it.

[IndyYeah]

Poland has the Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport. By the way, the one man play about Chopin was cool. It was in Chicago a few years ago. The new Indy terninal is really nice, love the architecture.

[JAFO 317]

I have some pictures of the new airport I'd like to post on here, but the posting rules for me state that I may not post attachments. How do I get that changed? Thanks.

[arenn]

JAFO, you need to host the pictures elsewhere, such a flickr or photobucket, and then use embedded image links in your post. Click the little icon that appears to be a mountain in a picture frame and it will insert the hotlink to your photo.

[JAFO 317]

Thanks Arenn and IndyTypeGuy for the instructions.
When talking to another co-worker about posting pictures that I and others on a tour took of the new terminal and posting them on the web, she advised me to contact our sister company (who did the tour) and ask if there are any legal issues with the web posting. I am still waiting to hear back from them.
I don't think there would be any problem posting areas of the airport where the public would be able to go, but I also have some of the luggage system and possibly other areas that may have a higher security level. So I want to make sure before posting.

[IndyTypeGuy]

Can you just post the public ones then? I'd avoid posting the ones not available to the general public. I wouldn't even wait for a response back. Just don't post the others. Even if you get the ok from someone it is possible they may not know any better and give you wrong advice. Only post public access areas and life is good. I'd also avoid posting anything security related like TSA screening areas.

[JAFO 317]

Well, the guy from the Circles and Squares blog beat me to it. But here are some photos that a co-worker (great resolution pics) and I (not so great resolution pics) took on a tour. Still learning Flickr so I hope I did it right. How do I make the pictures larger?
There may be more pictures coming at a later date.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3111/2574224030_e991eb8393_m.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3085/2573401015_def27e6b57_m.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3266/2574223996_c13a65e02d_m.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3123/2573400981_97245b5bf0_m.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3082/2574223972_be6c874a08_m.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3043/2574223964_e0701ac91d_m.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3271/2573400923_2f0c8810fa_m.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3039/2573400867_02116a5a79_m.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3030/2574223842_ae25029558_m.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3094/2573400745_8170dcc136_m.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3104/2573400651_682e8a7ffe_m.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3067/2573400551_c75fd12c83_m.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3124/2573400445_547cbd8378_m.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3263/2574223394_7ceef6bed6_m.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3150/2574223312_d00ec8acd4_m.jpg

[speedblue47]

This stands to be one of the best - if not the best - publicly accessible structures in the metropolitan area. If only projects downtown would be as bold.

[IndyTypeGuy]

New IND photos from the Indianapolis Airport Authority.

http://www.newindianapolisairport.com/galleries/Terminal_2008-6-17/June001.jpg

http://www.newindianapolisairport.com/galleries/Terminal_2008-6-17/June002.jpg

http://www.newindianapolisairport.com/galleries/Terminal_2008-6-17/June003.jpg

http://www.newindianapolisairport.com/galleries/Terminal_2008-6-17/June004.jpg

[cwilson758]

IND...(oh god no on Weir Cook) is looking fantastic. I am very excited to fly in and out of there.

[IndyTypeGuy]

I'm pretty pissed about the idea of the city even considering giving away an extremely valuable asset (that I might add belongs to the taxpayers) such as the naming rights. With the airline industry in such trouble selling the naming rights could really help subsidize daily operations and keep rent down and drive up service to the airport.

[arenn]

Chicago is hoping to get $3 billion from leasing Midway a la the Toll Road lease If Indy could get a billion or two for IND, it would be awesome - assuming the money was well spent, which it probably wouldn't be. Let yours truly implement some awesome street improvements in Marion County, and I'd be all for it :)

[IndyTypeGuy]

With naming rights they could in theory bring the rent down to what it is currently at the old terminal. This would make IND one of the most attractive airports in the nation when it comes to price and service.

[GarfieldPark]

Like "Indianapolis Jiffy Lube International Airport"? Yikes

[IndyTypeGuy]

I always thought Lilly would be an ideal customer. They would have the resources for this and they are a name which most Hoosiers know very well. Unlike Weir Cook which other than the debate most people have no idea who this guy is. He is a war vet and that is about it. He wasn't a president, former civil rights leader, governor, etc.

I see NW is dropping another route and putting another long time regular route on seasonal. Financially IND is going to need all the help it can get.

Sell the naming rights.

[Mr Peanut]

Do you know who O'Hare was? Probably not. Repeat for most airports named for people.

I'm sorry, but selling the naming rights to an airport is the dumbest idea I've heard in quite a while. No other airport has done that, and frankly the rights wouldn't be very valuable. The reason naming rights to sports stadiums are so valuable is the media exposure. Airports don't have that.

[IndyTypeGuy]

Naming it after some nobody at the expense of the taxpayers is a pretty dumb idea. Either leave it the way it is now or offer up the naming rights to the highest bidder. If nobody is interested then it should be pretty easy for Weir Cook supporters to submit the winning bid. The minimum bid should be no less than the cost of the hardware changes (signs, etc). The name is a taxpayer asset and should not simply be given away.

[cjfjapan]

I can't imagine selling naming rights to IND. Has this been done at any major (or even minor) airport in the US? I think if we are going to rename the airport, it should be for someone who has at least a little local name recognition. And, frankly, i would like to see it be someone not associated with the military. Other public servants are just as worthy as someone who served in the armed forces.

[hoosier]

This whole movement toward selling public resources is right out of the conservative playbook. Starve government of the funds it needs to provide services to its citizens, thereby forcing it to hand over public infrastructure to private companies.

Leasing the toll road would never have been necessary if the federal government saw it fit to invest in the nation's roads instead of throwing it away in oil wars and useless weapons systems.

[arenn]

Hoosier, how would you have financed the Major Moves program?

[runNgunn]

Just saw this article that more local eateries will be included in the airport retail mix. Shapiro's as well as a partner restaurant with St. Elmo's Steakhouse. There will also be an Indy 500 themed restaurant.
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/ssp-america-wins-major-contract/story.aspx?guid=%7BE6BD2F5F-9CDC-4FBA-826A-1790D32A9FE2%7D&dist=hppr

Also it appears a compromise has been reached on naming the airport. The terminal and roadway leading to it will be renamed for Weir Cook. http://www.wishtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=8680698&nav=0Rce

[cwilson758]

Why not name the airport after Guss Grissom? I mean, if they are going to rename it, why not pick a guy that is nationally-known and considered by many to one of the greatest astronauts that has ever flown?

Indianapolis-Grissom International Airport


Also, has anyone noticed that the "Airport Expressway" is now rebranded as "Sam Jones Expressway." First of all, who in the hell is "Sam Jones" and what did he contribute to the city? When I saw the signs along I-70, I almost thought it was a joke as "John Q. Public" or "Jane Doe" Expressway would be as distinguishable.

[arenn]

Cory, Sam Jones was one of the founders and the long time head of the Indianapolis Urban League, who died recently. Naming the expressway after him was similar to naming the abandoned section of SR 37 after Tom Binford.

[Indywatch]

^^ I know it's named after the head of the Indy Urban league... but there was also a guy named Sam Jones (actor / model) that posed nude in Playgirl magazine in the 70's (I think) and also starred as Flash Gordon in that B movie made about the same time period. Just say that road is named after him. JOKING!

SAM JONES
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa215/baronalex/SamJones.jpg

[cwilson758]

Flash Gordon was my favorite movie as a kid.

[ablerock]

but there was also a guy named Sam Jones (actor / model) that posed nude in Playgirl magazine in the 70's


Dude, you're just going to tease us with words of nudity and not deliver?

Lame.

;-)

[ak72]

The vendors and locations for the new airport have been annonced.

http://www.indystar.com/assets/pdf/BG112989716.PDF

[TrafficSignal]

I was at a meeting yesterday where an airport representative was speaking about the new terminal. I learned a few things I hadn't known or seen mentioned here:

1) The terminal is "on track" for a silver LEED certification.
2) A public open house (no ticket needed) is currently scheduled for October 11th.
3) 2 Light rail options have been designed into the project, either from I-70 up the access road or under the northern runway & out washington st area.
4) The circulating roadway will be the same size as IMS (2 1/2 miles) - this is a massive project.
5) The terminal has so much natural lighting, the construction crews haven't had to use much electricity during construction.

[IndyTypeGuy]

1) The terminal is "on track" for a silver LEED certification.


What is the significance of that?

[ablerock]

What is the significance of that?

Seriously?

http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CategoryID=19

From the website:

The LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System™ is a voluntary, consensus-based standard to support and certify successful green building design, construction and operations. LEED is transforming the marketplace by providing a nationally recognized certification system to promote integrated, whole-building design practices in the building industry.


Am I just completely misunderstanding your question?

[arenn]

The terminal will be LEED Silver? That's the first time I heard that. Pretty cool.

[GarfieldPark]

Great to hear about the two rail transit options at the airport. I had heard about the one that goes back west before heading east into downtown - but I hadn't heard about the one that goes northeast and directly toward downtown. That is what makes the most sense - but I had heard it was unlikely because it would have to go under the runway. That route makes sense because there is a fairly straight line from the new terminal to the northeast that wouldn't really need to go under any main section of runway - just a few narrower little concrete strips that would appear to be used only for slow moving airplanes when they are taxiing.

I don't really know much about the engineering requirements of airport runways - but I had envisioned that route making a lot of sense as the best way to connect light rail from the airport to downtown. Glad to hear that is still a possibility.

[IndyTypeGuy]

Seriously?
...

Am I just completely misunderstanding your question?

I mean I've heard the term LEED and to me it has meant basically building your place green. What I hadn't heard before is the silver rating. Is that what you get when you get certified? What is the significance of silver versus any other rating.

[arenn]

I don't know all the ratings, but the LEED group gives out various levels: Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Most major buildings I've seen with LEED certification are Silver, the lowest level I believe. I can't name one structure that is LEED Platinum.

[k2h]

New airport features outstanding mix of Indianapolis favorites and top national brands

INDIANAPOLIS — When it opens October 28, travelers and visitors passing through the new Indianapolis International Airport will instantly recognize more than 40 new and returning national brands, including Starbucks, McDonald’s, CNBC, Brooks Brothers, Harley-Davidson, Borders, Pacific Outfitters, Au Bon Pain, Qdoba, Brookstone, Johnston & Murphy, and Cold Stone Creamery.

They will also be able to enjoy one-of-a-kind shopping and dining experiences that showcase some of the city’s top restaurants, arts and cultural institutions, and sports organizations.

In an announcement made today by the Indianapolis Airport Authority, Board President Randall L. Tobias explained, “When we began planning the types of shops and restaurants needed at the airport, we felt it was important that the true feel and flavor of Indiana be evident. We also wanted to be sure the selections would satisfy the needs, tastes, and lifestyle preferences of contemporary business and leisure travelers.”

The result is a hometown line-up featuring a number of major players, including:

- The first-ever Indianapolis 500 Grill, a sit-down restaurant which will be accompanied by a Brickyard Authentics apparel and collectible store and an Indianapolis 500 museum.
- One of the nation’s first and most comprehensive local museum stores, Cultural Crossroads, is a ground-breaking partnership offering merchandise and displays from eight leading Indianapolis museums and cultural institutions, including:

The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
Conner Prairie, an nationally acclaimed living history museum
Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians & Western Art
Indiana Historical Society
Indiana State Museum
Indianapolis Art Center
Indianapolis Museum of Art
Indianapolis Zoo
- Harry & Izzy’s restaurant in Concourse A will offer the iconic shrimp cocktail made famous at St. Elmo Steahouse as part of its classic-but-casual menu.
- Café Patachou, Indianapolis’ favorite bistro, will open Patachou on the Fly, a take-off of the city’s beloved neighborhood establishment voted “Best Place for Breakfast” by Indianapolis Monthly for 15 years running.
Joie Chitwood, President of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, was among the speakers at the event. “Creating a restaurant that expresses the history and drama of the Speedway has been an idea in search of the right location. With all of the visitors that flow through the airport, we are excited about this unique opportunity to expose them to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway brand. When travelers grab a seat in the new Indianapolis 500 Grill, they will instantly know they are in Indy, the world’s racing capital,” he said.

Noted Craig Huse, president of Harry & Izzy’s, “The namesakes of this quintessential Indianapolis restaurant were an important part of the excitement of driving the city’s early growth, so we are tremendously proud to participate in this bold new chapter in city history.”

Jeff Patchen, president and CEO of the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, represented the eight local museums and cultural institutions that join forces for the Cultural Crossroads store. “The new Indianapolis International Airport is the first in the U.S. to provide one store highlighting such a large cross section of local cultural treasures. Each of the institutions represented plans to host exhibits and demonstrations that will ensure even regular airport visitors always have fresh and diverse experiences.”

Mandy Swift, who co-owns Broad Ripple’s Just Pop In gourmet popcorn shop with sister Carly Swift, also spoke, noting that as “A small-business owner, I am excited about the opportunity to launch a new store at the airport that has the potential to reach millions of passengers each year.”

Other well-known local and state brands will operate out of the new terminal when it opens later this year:

- Shapiro’s, Indy’s famous kosher-style delicatessen, will follow its tradition of offering piled-high corned beef sandwiches and other generous portion sizes at modest prices, at the new IND.
- Home of the “Build Your Own” hot dog, King David Dogs will bring its downtown Indianapolis flavor to Concourse B.
- 96th Street Steakburgers, one of the city’s favorite retro-cool burger joints, will serve its top-notch, juicy burgers and other fare.
- Indianapolis’ well-known downtown pizzeria, Giorgio’s Pizza, will serve its signature New York-style pies by the slice.
- Vera Bradley, the famous Hoosier maker of colorful cotton, silk, and denim handbags, totes, duffels, backpacks, and more will offer its exclusive line of signature gifts and merchandise.
- Growing chocolatier South Bend Chocolate Company will offer its one-of-a-kind chocolates, premier ice cream, and other treats to take home or enjoy before leaving the airport.
The new 1.2 million-square-foot terminal, with two 20-gate concourses, has given the Indianapolis Airport Authority (IAA) a rare opportunity to be creative and still meet the everyday needs of air travelers, Ambassador Tobias said. “We decided to negotiate individually for each concession concept and tenant rather than turn the entire operation over to one airport concession company. We believe our customers will enjoy the results,” he added.

Some of the new airport’s restaurants, news and gift stores, specialty shops, and other service providers have individual contracts with IAA. Others arepartnering with major airport concession operators, including Areas, HDS Retail, HMS Host, Paradies, and SSP America.

The dining and shopping center of the airport will be Civic Plaza, which will offer approximately 25,000 square feet of restaurants and specialty retailers. Each of the two concourses will have approximately 15,000 square feet of retail space.

[arenn]

This just keeps sounding better and better.

[cwilson758]

I am SO EXCITED to fly out of IND

[IndyTypeGuy]

I've still heard absolutely nothing about the airport hotel.

[hoosier]

I've still heard absolutely nothing about the airport hotel.

Neither have I. There are a number of hotels planned at the SR 267 and RR Parkway interchanged with I-70, which may obviate the need for a hotel on airport property.

[hoosier]

Great to hear about the two rail transit options at the airport. I had heard about the one that goes back west before heading east into downtown - but I hadn't heard about the one that goes northeast and directly toward downtown.

I prefer the former because it would use existing freight rail ROW and presents the potential for a spur into Plainfield, perhaps terminating at Metropolis Mall.

[GarfieldPark]

Going NE from the terminal would also allow the transit line to link into the freight rail corridor into downtown - but it would cut about three or four miles off of the trip.

[arenn]

http://www.indianaeconomicdigest.net/main.asp?SectionID=31&SubSectionID=135&ArticleID=43071

New Indianapolis airport terminal boasts design and art

Mooresville/Decatur Times

By Amy Hillenburg, Mooresville/Decatur Times
ahillenb@md-times.com

INDIANAPOLIS - A lot of names, designers and artists are associated with the new Midfield Terminal at Indianapolis International Airport - too many to remember.

But airport spokesman David Dawson said there are only three things the public needs to remember: to reach new Midfield Terminal, they will take Interstate 70 and look for Exit 68. That route will take them directly to the airport's new main entrance.

The official opening of the terminal, Civic Plaza and parking garage will be Tuesday evening, Nov. 11.

Dawson said only arrival flights will be using the airport at that time, and anyone leaving Indianapolis on an airplane that day will do it from the old terminal.

"The first departures will begin Wednesday morning, Nov. 12," Dawson said. "We really wanted to have our opening on Veterans Day."

Airport officials have already launched an information campaign, driving those three facts home through billboards on roads around the airport perimeter. Print ads, radio and news spots will follow closer to the opening.

The terminal and roadway are named for Hoosier hero Col. Harvey Weir Cook, a distinguished World War I and World War II flying ace. The airport was named for him in 1976, but later renamed Indianapolis International Airport in the heyday of ATA flights to Mexico. Memorabilia and a display will also honor Cook in the new terminal.

"The placement of the terminal, pretty much in the middle of the airport, will cut airplane taxi time in half," Dawson said. "From about 8 to 10 minutes to about 4 or 5 minutes. I've been told it will save about $12 million in fuel costs."

Dawson said the general public can view the new airport on upcoming community days, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11 and 12. Dedication ceremonies and an open house will be scheduled at that time. Dawson said people would be able to see everything, right down to the bag screening area one floor underground. That doesn't necessarily mean access to the impressive control tower.

"We had a media day at our ribbon-cutting in April, and someone said, 'Let's go up in the tower.' Since then, I believe for security reasons, the FAA has limited tower visits," Dawson said.

Terminal is light and airy

When passengers arrive, they will see an airport of glass, color and light; paired with ease, calm and convenience. To understand the scope of the project, head designers Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum Inc. created a terminal that is 1.2 million square feet and a 2.5-million-square-foot parking garage with a glass atrium. An abstract garden is a tribute to the Wright Brothers and the history of flying. An original bright red wing of an F-14 is displayed there. Even the end caps of the ticket counters are shaped like the backs of airplanes. There are other landscaped areas where expansion could take place in the future.

Dawson said the $1.1 billion project would probably come in under budget. It has been partially funded by $120 million in federal safety money and bonds, which will be paid off by vendor and parking revenues. The IAA registered for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, which incorporates environmentally sound and energy-efficient standards in all phases of the design and operation.

"We're not allowed to ask for appropriations from the city of Indianapolis or the state," Dawson said. "We do have the ability to raise the property tax, which we've never done."

One of the things Dawson is most proud of is the Indianapolis Airport Authority's partnership with museum boards of eight Indianapolis institutions to create a "Cultural Crossroads" environment, where merchandise and displays will be offered.

Passengers and visitors can mingle in Civic Plaza without tight security restraints, mainly because Indianapolis is an origination airport - not a destination airport. Dawson said the IAA is seeking international flight connections, and airlines are already servicing Toronto, Canada. He added that the international boarding area is situated near expanded taxi lanes and airplane parking. Passengers will not have to be out in the weather to disembark.

But international connections will have to rest with the carriers. And Dawson said right now, they are struggling under rising fuel costs.

"Indianapolis continues to be a focus city for Northwest Airlines, and we are pleased to offer seasonal service to Mexico," said Michelle Aguayo Shannon, media relations manager for Northwest. "We continue to look at ways to bring new international travel destinations to our Indiana customers. We offer access to destinations throughout the world through our hubs in Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul and Memphis."

But news reports said in June that Northwest was cutting its capacity by 3 to 4 percent because of high fuel prices. The carrier was also searching for ways to shrink its staff through voluntary means and then possible layoffs. Cuts in flights were expected in the fourth quarter of this year.

Passengers can relax and enjoy wait

After being transported by people-moving walkways, passengers can go to one of two concourses, with 20 gates each. They can return to Civic Plaza to shop at Vera Bradley, Indiana Marketplace, Hoosier Marketplace, Brooks Brothers or Pacific Outfitters. They can eat at Shapiro's, Cafe Patachou, the Indianapolis 500 Grill & Brickyard Authentics, TGI Fridays or have ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery. They can wake up for an early flight with Starbucks coffee and a muffin.

Visitors can ponder colored glass panels by Martin Donlin, with poems included by such writers as Norbert Krapf of Hammond. "There are 14 of these; so far, we've only broken one, and another came in with a misspelled word," Dawson laughed.

Chris Schwartz, vice president of marketing for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, said licensing and the IMS retail group were involved in the plans for the airport restaurant. They had been talking last fall about a possible extension to the Speedway's merchandise slot at the terminal.

"We weren't looking for a stand-alone restaurant site somewhere," Schwartz said. "But when this opportunity came up, it seemed a natural addition to the shop. We're excited for the airport to open. With Internet recognition, Indianapolis is known as the racing capital of the world. People come to the city from all over for the 500 and the Brickyard races."

Schwartz said that the timing for the IMS is just right. In 2009, the Speedway will celebrate its 100th year in Indianapolis.

Airport boasts family-friendly facility

As he leads media and group tours at the new airport, Dawson points out the environmentally friendly terminal, atrium and sliding glass entrances. Radiant heating and cooling are built into the floors, which for the most part are terrazzo tile. And vestibules at the entrances keep outside dust, cold, snow and heat from entering with passengers.

Each restroom has a family unit to handle more than one child and parent, and provides three handicapped-accessible stalls with automatic doors and various heights.

Artists and sculptors Lynn Basa, Arlon Bayliss, Dale Enochs, James Willie Faust, Tom Torluemke and Nhat Tran have fashioned mosaic panels, floor and wall designs and sculptures for the grounds, parking garage and terminal. All the artists are from Indiana, and Basa is a Bloomington native.

Dawson said the glass walls are made of laminated glass, which does not shatter, but would simply crack and break in a catastrophic event.

"People can look out over the whole airport and watch the planes land while they sip their drink, wait on their flight or arriving passengers," Dawson said. "We're not sure what we will do with the old terminal. We still have ticketing there and our six-floor administrative office building - and we've got a little more on our plate right now than planning for that."

[cwilson758]

I went exploring out to the airport and drove around Perimeter Road and out on I-70. This Airport is a jewel for this City. Plus, all of the viaducts and the new entrance off of I-70 makes the area seem so "big." They have all the signage up, but obviously covered for the time being, but access to and from the new facility is going to be a MAJOR improvement over the existing. I can't wait to fly out of the new IND.

[cwilson758]

So, we fly to two countries, Canada and Mexico. I don't think we will ever see European service, unless there is a major restructuring in the hub and spoke system, which is not out of the question.

[SpiderMonkey]

So, we fly to two countries, Canada and Mexico. I don't think we will ever see European service, unless there is a major restructuring in the hub and spoke system, which is not out of the question.


I think Europe seems unlikely, but I wonder if there is a market where Indy might get a few flights down the road to South America, someplaces like Sao Palo, Buenos Aires, Santiago, or Rio de Janeiro? I would think that that might be more likely than Europe. Maybe 1 or 2 flights a week to a city or 2.

Another thought would be a flight to China, Japan or Australia.

[SwimINindy]

^^

Interesting you mention Sao Paulo. My father flies corporate plaines out of mount comfort and his plain has been chartered several times recently for business trips to Sao Paulo, and Rio De Janeiro. Its a select group of business men - Mansur reality, and some other names, but perhaps there is a growing connection between indy and south american businesses .... who knows.

[NaptownBoy]

As long as Delta and American keeping routing their flights through the same handful of airports, there may never be a direct international flight from IND unless airport volume dramatically increases in size.

[pattyco7]

As long as Delta and American keeping routing their flights through the same handful of airports, there may never be a direct international flight from IND unless airport volume dramatically increases in size.

International flights from IND? We can only dream. It's only in the name and that's really stretching it. Oh well, Chicago O'Hare International Airport is only a few hours away.

[cwilson758]

International flights from IND? We can only dream. It's only in the name and that's really stretching it. Oh well, Chicago O'Hare International Airport is only a few hours away.

Indy has a handful of truely international flights via FedEx, though not passenger. If you are a FedEx employee, I believe you can jump on a plane and land in China about 15hrs later.

[IndyTypeGuy]

We shall see what happens. NW had recently advertised job openings at IND for customer service reps. They encouraged Japanese speaking people to apply. So maybe something to their Tokyo/Narita hub coming?

[arenn]

I'd settle for better domestic connectivity - Indy is still very under-connected to the west coast.

[NaptownBoy]

We shall see what happens. NW had recently advertised job openings at IND for customer service reps. They encouraged Japanese speaking people to apply. So maybe something to their Tokyo/Narita hub coming?
Perhaps. Northwest is our big carrier, and an expansion through them five or ten years down the road is not out of the question. Destinations to Central America, the Bahamas, Asia, etc could help to boost our international "status" as well.

[IndyTypeGuy]

We'll know in the next 4 to 8 weeks if we are getting any long haul service for 2009. Long haul service would likely start somewhere between May and July. Service announcements would come somewhere between mid September and mid November.

[IndyYeah]

International flights from IND? We can only dream. It's only in the name and that's really stretching it. Oh well, Chicago O'Hare International Airport is only a few hours away.

I see no reason why there will not be international flights in the future. Maybe 20 years... My reasoning is also importance of a city as well as traffic. Remember where Indy is, and flight delays etc.. I do not think the international thing is anywhere out of the question. Look at alot of cities around the world as well as the states. I bet years ago we would say no way for many things that are going on in alot of cities. Look at Atlanta, 25 years ago?

[IndyTypeGuy]

If they can run Tokyo service from Portland they can run it from here. They run service to NRT from PDX and SEA and those two airports are only 129 miles apart. Indianapolis and Detroit are 231 miles apart. I think the image of the new airport will be what would get IND the service over Memphis. If you've ever been to the Memphis airport you'll know what I mean. IND would provide a good alternative for people traveling to the far east. IND would be an ideal connection for people coming from TPA, MCO, RDU, DCA, etc. We will have the type of facilities that would impress international travelers from the far east who are used to the higher levels of service that would be expected from a new airport. Coming in to Memphis as their first experience in the US would make them feel like they've gone back 40 years in time. IND fits more with the NW image as it has many similarities to the terminal in DTW.

[ak72]

Alright, I know that I am usually very optimistic but airlines are my area of specialty.

First: Northwest will not be Northwest for long, pretty soon it will be Delta. The combined carrier will already have MEM, CVG, DTW, ATL, and MSP in the smae general area of the US, IND will not be on top of the list to add service, probably opposite, reduced service.

Second: Point-point is not the way airlines work, in these tough times airlines are getting rid of point to point flying and streamlining operations through hubs. Some may point to Southwest but they just have many slightly smaller hubs.

Third: Demand, Indy doesn't have the demand for a lot of routes especially international ones. What could happen is a build-up of an airline in IND that would connect a lot of passengers. The only problem is who, every airline is shrinking or halting growth. Some point to Delta (Northwest) but they are shrinking Cincinnati, a city with more O&D demand (not connecting) and they have just opened up a brand new terminal at DTW, therefore the new terminal at IND is no big deal to them.

Fourth: To the point of PDX and SEA having service to NRT, the west coast has a lot of Japanese people, last time I checked there weren't a whole lot of Japanese people in Indianapolis. Also they are much closer saving much more on fuel. And to the point of charters to Sao Paulo. Charters are the way a lot of scheduled service starts, but I wouldn't get to excited, there needs to be a lot more than a few charters to warrant direct service.

Where I see IND in 5 years. Delta will proabably have downsized to a regular destination with a few point to point routes. If we are lucky they will have the same service with a couple new routes and a couple routes gone. But where I do see room for growth is from Southwest or a new carrer starting up with a hub in IND. Of course all of this is hold all constant. Obviously if Indianapolis grows both economically and population wise anything could happen.

Now I this got a little long and I tried to keep it as short as possible so a lot of stuff is pretty vauge. If you need details about anything or have any questions please ask me, I will be happy to answer you.

[runNgunn]

A bit off topic, but I was recently looking at an article on Jaunted (http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/8/24/202632/238/travel/Inside+JetBlue%27s+Terminal+5+Trial+Run) of the new terminal 5 at JFK. (I think the only other project near the size of the new Indy airport opening in a close time frame?)

Granted I know they are in a much different situation, but I couldn't help but think that based on the reviews of that terminal so far, the IND will get a glowing review. (My biggest complaint about T5 is how disconnected in style the new portion is compared to the Eero Saarinen's TWA building which I love.) The interiors of their new terminal don't seem particularly exciting to me as compared to the new Indy airport. Mainly interested in everyone else's thoughts as I am by no means an expert.

[IndyTypeGuy]

Alright, I know that I am usually very optimistic but airlines are my area of specialty.

First: Northwest will not be Northwest for long, pretty soon it will be Delta. The combined carrier will already have MEM, CVG, DTW, ATL, and MSP in the smae general area of the US, IND will not be on top of the list to add service, probably opposite, reduced service.

Second: Point-point is not the way airlines work, in these tough times airlines are getting rid of point to point flying and streamlining operations through hubs. Some may point to Southwest but they just have many slightly smaller hubs.

Third: Demand, Indy doesn't have the demand for a lot of routes especially international ones. What could happen is a build-up of an airline in IND that would connect a lot of passengers. The only problem is who, every airline is shrinking or halting growth. Some point to Delta (Northwest) but they are shrinking Cincinnati, a city with more O&D demand (not connecting) and they have just opened up a brand new terminal at DTW, therefore the new terminal at IND is no big deal to them.

Fourth: To the point of PDX and SEA having service to NRT, the west coast has a lot of Japanese people, last time I checked there weren't a whole lot of Japanese people in Indianapolis. Also they are much closer saving much more on fuel. And to the point of charters to Sao Paulo. Charters are the way a lot of scheduled service starts, but I wouldn't get to excited, there needs to be a lot more than a few charters to warrant direct service.

Where I see IND in 5 years. Delta will proabably have downsized to a regular destination with a few point to point routes. If we are lucky they will have the same service with a couple new routes and a couple routes gone. But where I do see room for growth is from Southwest or a new carrer starting up with a hub in IND. Of course all of this is hold all constant. Obviously if Indianapolis grows both economically and population wise anything could happen.

Now I this got a little long and I tried to keep it as short as possible so a lot of stuff is pretty vauge. If you need details about anything or have any questions please ask me, I will be happy to answer you.

To address a couple of your comments...

1) The merged airline will be under contract for at least 11 gates at IND. It may be as high as 12 or 13 but 11 for certain. This will be the case for I believe a minimum of 2 more years.

2) Point to point is the way some airlines work. It is popular with low cost carriers. It has been a big part of what has made Southwest successful. With higher fuel prices unnecessary routing of passengers through hubs will be reduced. That adds greatly to the cost of handling a passenger.

3) IND has a great deal of demand actually. Not only from the local market but the airport has been very successful at taking passengers from neighboring markets. Cincinnati has been greatly victimized by this. BTW I do not believe CVG has more O&D. But even if they did why would DL be shrinking them? The answer is very simple. There is no money in feed. That is why you will see CVG and MEM lose hub status. Southwest has remained profitable because their flights are dominated by origination traffic. Northwest has maintained an LCC model at IND. They have had great success and that is why IND will remain a big part of NW and likely the new Delta.

4) There is obviously a decent number of Japanese people or Japanese speaking people in the area otherwise Northwest wouldn't have been seeking applicants that spoke the language. And it isn't only for Japanese people living in Indiana it is also for Japanese business interests in the area.

Whatever the reason NW was looking for Japanese speaking reps it is obvious there is a demand otherwise that request wouldn't have been made. If there aren't enough Japanese people in the area then please try and explain to me why NW did what they did? That is after all the point of what I brought up. Why is NW doing what they did?

[cwilson758]

The Japanese thing is interesting. Working on development/planning/goverment, Indiana as a whole has been very aggressive in courting Asian companies for Hoosier investment over the past few years, especially the old manufacturing hubs of Anderson and Muncie. This could be a reaction to that. Hello, Honda anyone???

I do see MEM and CVG losing out on the Northwest/Delta merger. (and yes MEM is a dump) I think that IND will be attractive to new carriers due to the brand-spanking new facility. I am anxious to see how our new facility will affect traffic in and out of IND. I remember being at Union Station when then Mayor Petterson unveiled the plans for IND....

[ak72]

To address a couple of your comments...



Well first I must have missed the part about hiring Japenese speaking people the first time and I apologize, we'll see where that goes from there.

You bring up several good points and there is a lot of truth behind what you say. I will clear up my opinions a little bit more.

1) Northwest also had a deal to keep their headquarters in Minnesota for a number of years. I'm not saying I wouldn't like hem to use all the gates but there are ways of getting out of these things.

2) In the US, only one airline comes close to Point to Point, Southwest, all other LCCs (AirTran, Frontier, JetBlue, Spirit) all have hubs. However, a big part of Southwest is connecting passengers and they have several major "hubs" in BWI, MDW, DEN, BNA, HOU, PHX, LAS, ect. Places where a lot of connecting traffic goes through. Also, while they may say they have a lot of direct flights, a direct flight isn't the same as a non-stop flight, A plane that travels IND-JAX-FLL can be advertised a a direct flight from IND to FLL. Although it is routing the passenger through JAX where people can get off change planes and people from other planes can hop on. Although it is not a traditional hub and spoke system it does rely heavily on connecting passengers. And even with that they consistently have some of the lowest load factors (percentage of plane that is filled) in the industry. The reason for their success is a culture of customer service, cost cutting, and fuel hedging.

3) Now I'm not saying that IND doesn't have significant demand, I think it has great potential with the right type of airline. I will not expand more because I have a plan to start an airline that includes IND, but at the moment no one will finance an airline start-up let alone a new mortgage.

4) And like I said I guess I missed the part about NW hiring Japenese speaking people, I'd like to see where this is going.

[ak72]

Here is a map of gate layout:

http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp11/boeing787900/newINDconcourseassingments-1.jpg

NW/DL have a lot of gates. If they increase presence I will be really surprised considering IND proximity to DTW. But it looks like as of now they have plans. It will be interesting to see things shake out.

[IndyTypeGuy]

ak72.... The Japanese thing will be interesting. It is likely just a customer service move. If I had to put a number on it I'd say 75% likely a customer service move. The merged airline is going to have a huge operation here. And you should see a list of shops in the A concourse. It is going to be a great place to hang out.

http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp11/boeing787900/aconcessionnaires.jpg

[NaptownBoy]

There better be a Brookstone in there

[philaustin06]

there is

[ak72]

Sneak peak of the airport!:banana:
http://www.wthr.com/global/story.asp?s=9076161

[cwilson758]

FYI, the Westin deal is done. Back to the drawing board

[IndyTypeGuy]

FYI, the Westin deal is done. Back to the drawing board

I figured it was toast a while back. Absolutely nothing was getting done. It is a shame that the deal was considered done and bidding closed before the deal was actually done. So much time was wasted as a result.

[arenn]

As with the Luke, the airport is offering public tours in advance of the opening during "Community Days" on Oct 11 and 12.

https://indyaircdpt.theregistrationsystem.com/en/registration/index/374

I signed up for the Oct 11 10am tour (the first one). If anyone else wants to glom onto that time slot, we could turn it into an SSC meetup.

[arenn]

Oh, and FYI a co-worker of mine who took a tour this week said that the airport authority hasn't been able to raise funds yet for the IND sculpture. Hopefully that will get completed at some point since it is a great work.

[IndyTypeGuy]

They need to focus on getting a good hotel and forget that dang sculpture :-)

My tour is 1pm on the 11th. I think. I can't see dragging myself out at 10am on a weekend. That means I have to set an alarm and that just seems wrong.

[philaustin06]

9 picture tour of the new airport terminal. looks like theres hella signage, the concourses look cluttered with them.

http://www2.indystar.com/autofocus/galleries/show/3867/1

[hoosier]

9 picture tour of the new airport terminal. looks like theres hella signage, the concourses look cluttered with them.

http://www2.indystar.com/autofocus/galleries/show/3867/1


Wow, that looks absolutely amazing. Two big projects opening in the same year.

[IndyTypeGuy]

I think the place looks great. Very European. I just hope the drainage doesn't fail :-)

[arenn]

Tons of pics I took at Community Days. Just look at my flickr page.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/85706170@N00/

[philaustin06]

the attention to detail at the airport is mind boggling. The furniture in civic plaza is so modern, does anyone know if that stage with the video curtain behind it will be permanent in the plaza?

[IndyTypeGuy]

Tons of pics I took at Community Days. Just look at my flickr page.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/85706170@N00/

Nice. You got to tour the customs/field inspection station. It was closed when I got there.

Here is my photo set from the tour. Same day you went. Just a little later in the day.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rofl_indy/sets/72157607938782312/

[ablerock]

The nicest feature about the new airport is its location between the runways.

I've never been to an airport where you had such good views of planes landing and taking off from virtually everywhere in the airport. It's got a great sense of place. Our humble skyline was also quite prominent in the north view, which adds to that sense of place.

While I agree with Arenn that there's nothing particularly unique about the building itself, I'd argue that the layout of the entire airport is something unique and worth bragging about. It's extremely functionally and logically laid out. A 90-year-old could navigate it with ease.

I'm curious what everyone who toured it thinks about it compared to the other airports they've visited.

[IndyTypeGuy]

I toured it and loved it. You could see some similarities between it and the big terminal in Detroit. No shock since it was built by the same company. That would also explain the strange corridor between the parking garage and terminal. Anyone who has visited the tunnel in Detroit will know what I mean. But the overall design itself is unique to the U.S. It has a very European feel to it. I've heard some say it reminds them of AMS. I don't know if they are talking about the signs or what. Having been to a number of European airports and U.S. airports I'd say it does have more in common with a European airport than a U.S. one.

The one thing I noticed as being a problem was a lack of escalators leading in to the terminal from the garage. Basically you had only one leading you on but two leading you out to the garage from the terminal. That move makes absolutely no sense. Also the designers painted themselves into a corner with international arrivals. From now until the end of time the customs/field inspection stations can't handle more than 400 passengers in an hour. There is no provision for expanding it. They are making the assumption that nothing will ever change that would cause the airport to need better international passenger processing. A loaded 744 would push the limits of international arrivals. A loaded A380 would be a nightmare. And that is just one flight. Who wants to spend 90 minutes trying to clear customs? Also the baggage claim in customs was poorly designed. It basically wraps 3 walls in a room. That means everyone is packed in the middle. Not a good system.

But other than those things the design was great.

[arenn]

The airport is woefully lacking from an architecture standpoint when compared to, say, Madrid Barajas, which might be the nicest airport in the world. However, that airport is a PITA since you've got to take a tram to the remote terminal, and the baggage claim takes forever. Madrid is awesome physically but lacking on functionality.

The new IND terminal reminds me of MDW. Namely, very very nice, but functional and not distinctive.

To me the lights in the passageway from the garage are a ripoff of the O'Hare ribbons of light piece in terminal one, right down to the cheesy music.

But consider this: Indy's airport experience blows away LGR, LAX, LHR, the old terminal at CDG, etc. While they did not up the architectural ante, very few major cities have yet. Personally, I think it outclasses the vast majority of the airports I've been in worldwide.

[IndyYeah]

seems they upped the architecture for this airport and frankly Indianapolis as a whole city. What part is the circle "Jetson's" looking roof part at? I have been priming for just the terminal part, and did not know of this circular part.

[philaustin06]

im so glad they decided to replace the passenger jet bridges, when I worked for united, there was talk of reusing the current ones, they had a horrible odor of dead birds and they were always hot. We had to gas them down everyday with air freshner.

[GarfieldPark]

To Indy Type Guy: It makes sense to me why the escalators would have one moving stairway going in and two going out. The chances of large crowds moving out at the same time are good - based on a couple of flights coming in at the same time and everyone getting their luggage and leaving at the same time. Coming in, it would seem the flow would be more steady - as some people come in an hour before their flight, some come in an hour and a half ahead - and some may only come in 45 minutes before. You don't have that same sudden rush at one time for the inbound traffic.

Arenn: I don't remember much about the airport when I visited Madrid about ten years ago. The only airport related memory I have is the huge amount of grafitti that I saw riding the train from the airport into central Madrid.

[k2h]

Nice. You got to tour the customs/field inspection station. It was closed when I got there.

Here is my photo set from the tour. Same day you went. Just a little later in the day.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rofl_indy/sets/72157607938782312/


Thanks for sharing your photos. The new airport is definitely something for the people of Indianapolis and Indiana to be proud of.

I took note of the exterior landscaping. Can anyone explain the shades of gray and brown after seeing it up close? Is this permanent?

[IndyTypeGuy]

To Indy Type Guy: It makes sense to me why the escalators would have one moving stairway going in and two going out. The chances of large crowds moving out at the same time are good - based on a couple of flights coming in at the same time and everyone getting their luggage and leaving at the same time. Coming in, it would seem the flow would be more steady - as some people come in an hour before their flight, some come in an hour and a half ahead - and some may only come in 45 minutes before. You don't have that same sudden rush at one time for the inbound traffic.


I can see your point about the rush of people But is it really enough to justify double the escalators going out as in? Over the course of a day it will average out. And the one thing I noticed during the tour was the log jam of people waiting to go into the terminal. It to me showed the design to be inadequate for kind of rush of traffic. Remember that one escalator going in has to last us forever. It would have made more sense to widen the area by 5 feet or whatever and added another escalator. Spend the money there instead of on something like that crazy lighting and all the art that while looks nice doesn't improve the functioning of the airport.

[IndyTypeGuy]

Thanks for sharing your photos. The new airport is definitely something for the people of Indianapolis and Indiana to be proud of.

I took note of the exterior landscaping. Can anyone explain the shades of gray and brown after seeing it up close? Is this permanent?

I'm relatively certain some of what you see is basically the seed/mulch paste put down by a hydro seeder. Basically a landscape company can paint an area with grass seed and since the seed is mixed with a mulch type sludge they don't have to go back and put straw down. My parents had a landscape company and they had one of those machines. Though their mix was a green color. But what we saw looks just like it.

[GarfieldPark]

I haven't seen the inside of the new airport yet, so I really don't know what the escalators are like. Is it possible that one of the three is reversible, to handle different flows of traffic at different times? Just another thought. I'm really not too concerned about it. I'm sure things will work fine or appropriate adjustments will be made as needed.

[runNgunn]

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081105/LOCAL/81105055

"A 1,000-foot long ribbon-cutting, a flyover and dozens of guest speakers and performers will all be part the dedication ceremony for the new Indianapolis International Airport on Veterans Day.

Tuesday’s ceremony on the upper-level drive at the Col. H. Weir Cook Terminal will start at 1 p.m. The first commercial flight is scheduled to land later that day after 8 p.m. Departures begin Wednesday morning."

:banana:

I won't be visiting the new terminal until early January, but I can't wait for this terminal to be open for business!

[arenn]

I just completed posting a seven-part series providing a comprehensive review of the new airport terminal on my blog. You can read it here.

Part 1: Exterior
http://theurbanophile.blogspot.com/2008/10/review-new-indianapolis-airport.html

Part 2: Interior
http://theurbanophile.blogspot.com/2008/10/review-new-indianapolis-airport_18.html

Part 3: Furnishings and Finishes
http://theurbanophile.blogspot.com/2008/11/review-new-indianapolis-airport.html

Part 4: Signage
http://theurbanophile.blogspot.com/2008/11/review-new-indianapolis-airport_01.html

Part 5: Artwork
http://theurbanophile.blogspot.com/2008/11/review-new-indianapolis-airport_08.html

Part 6: Miscellaneous, or Rethinking the Airport as Public Space
http://theurbanophile.blogspot.com/2008/11/review-new-indianapolis-airport_2936.html

Part 7: Conclusion
http://theurbanophile.blogspot.com/2008/11/review-new-indianapolis-airport_6305.html

[runNgunn]

Arenn,

Apparently your detailed review of the airport was discussed as part of the opening ceremonies. With so many Indianapolis officials there, maybe they will check out the blog and take into account many of your ideas for the city. :cheers:

http://blog.indy.org/blog/indianapolis-convention-and-visitors-association/0/0/look-whos-talking-about-indianapolis-tuesday

[arenn]

run, we'll see about that.

Thanks for the pointer to that link. I heard that the blog was extensively cited, but I was not at the ceremony, nor did I see any video of it (no TV).

[IndyTypeGuy]

run, we'll see about that.

Thanks for the pointer to that link. I heard that the blog was extensively cited, but I was not at the ceremony, nor did I see any video of it (no TV).

Congrats on getting quoted to that extent at the opening ceremony. That is some pretty big recognition in my opinion. But I've mentioned to you before that your writing was worth of being published.

[cwilson758]

KUDOS Aaron!!

[arenn]

Thanks, guys.

BTW: You might be interested in the renderings of a concept terminal in Columbus, Ohio. It's towards the end of this document:

http://www.port-columbus.com/about/Executive_Summary_Final.pdf

[IndyTypeGuy]

I personally like the long concourse concept like DTW has. But I think the plan they have selected allows them to work with their existing space better without too many disruptions.

[ablerock]

KUDOS Aaron!!

Ditto! Keep up the good work. :)

[Indywatch]

I'm leaving for vacation tomorrow and looking forward to flying out of the new terminal.

[arenn]

Please post a full report when you get back.

[IndyTypeGuy]

I arrived at IND 2-1/2 hours ago. The concourses are world class. The baggage claim area is great. There is however a few glaring problems in my opinion. This is a case where something looks good on paper and looks good in a 3D design but in real world ops stinks. That would be the civic plaza. It creates a bottleneck where arriving passengers cannot get through people greeting other family members, people standing around chatting, standing around watching planes and can't get around all the clutter in the area. The plaza is just too small for that kind of function. It really needed to be 30% to 50% larger. It is a problem now. What is it going to be like the day before Thanksgiving? What is it going to be like 10 years from now? Also the glare from the sun as it is setting is really bad. You get blinded and can barely see the signs because of it as you are working your way to baggage claim.

The parking garage is great. Don't see any problems with it. Top notch. There is a traffic flow problem out of the parking area. There is a point where basically traffic out of parking has to merge into a single lane on the way to another lane as traffic is merging into that single lane from the other side. Unlike the civic plaza mess this one can be corrected. But until then I see this point as being a high accident area.

[IndyTypeGuy]

BTW from the time we pulled off the runway until we stopped at the gate was 4 minutes. Great taxi time.

[UrbanIndy]

BTW from the time we pulled off the runway until we stopped at the gate was 4 minutes. Great taxi time.

I wonder how much fuel the average flight will save with this new terminal. I'd bet the amount would be staggering. I've had 20 minute long taxis at IND.

[IndyTypeGuy]

A news report I heard said it will save airlines something like $12 or $14 million a year.

[SkywlkrSnd]

This is something that's been brought up before and we know we all want it to happen, but it's nice to hear the head of the airport authority echo our sentiments...

-----

From Inside Indiana Business (http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?ID=32656):

"Airport Authority Head Calls Light Rail Connection "A Priority"

Inside INdiana Business.com Report

The Indianapolis Airport Authority Board President believes a light rail line connecting the newly opened facility to downtown Indianapolis is a key component to further economic development in Central Indiana. Randy Tobias makes the comment in an interview with Inside INdiana Business Host Gerry Dick. He says with the $1.1 billion dollar airport opening on-time and on-budget, officials would like to find a way to build a rapid transit line to the airport.

Tobias also says the old airport will likely be torn down and the area redeveloped. He believes the site has plenty of advantages including its proximity to rail lines and interstates.

He beleives the entire airport area has the potential to be one of the biggest economic engines that has opened in Central Indiana in "a long, long time."

Source: Inside Indiana Business"

[cwilson758]

Ballard is behind this idea too. I think that we could actually build the NE line and Airport to DT line simulatenously. The more affluent people live in Hamilton County and it doesn't take rocket science to understand that they probably fly more often too. How about taking the train from 146th all the way to the Airport? I mean, I live right off Kessler at the Binford Intersection. I would love to drive 4 mins to a park-n-ride and take the train to the airport like they do in real cities.

[arenn]

No park-n-ride lots in the city - bad news IMO.

Light rail is one thing, but in many cities they are doing non-stop express service to downtown. You get that already on the Green Line bus. An all stops service like the CTA Blue Line to O'Hare is not good. That line takes 45 minutes at best versus a 25 minute drive with no traffic. If you want to do airport rail right, you need a mixture of traditional urban rail and an express service like Stockholm's Arlanda Express or London's Heatthrow Express (which admittedly has a sub-optimal in-city terminal location at Paddington).

[arenn]

BTW: Mods, this airport is now Complete, not U/C

[CorrND]

I just picked my wife up from the new terminal yesterday and arrivals vehicle area is a complete nightmare. Not only is the curb much shorter than it was at the old terminal but they're having cars, taxis and shuttle buses share the same space. Buses had a completely separate driving and loading area at the old terminal. This was a major oversight with the new terminal.

[IndyYeah]

I just picked my wife up from the new terminal yesterday and arrivals vehicle area is a complete nightmare. Not only is the curb much shorter than it was at the old terminal but they're having cars, taxis and shuttle buses share the same space. Buses had a completely separate driving and loading area at the old terminal. This was a major oversight with the new terminal.

The emails, letters, and letters to the editor will have to start by alot of people for there to be change. Seems strange that it would be like that and kept like that.

[ragerunner1]

The emails, letters, and letters to the editor will have to start by alot of people for there to be change. Seems strange that it would be like that and kept like that.

I just flew in and out of the new Indy terminal this week. It was easy to navigate, very nice architecture, great art and was one of the best airports I have every been in. They really did a great job with this project.

[CorrND]

I just flew in and out of the new Indy terminal this week. It was easy to navigate, very nice architecture, great art and was one of the best airports I have every been in. They really did a great job with this project.
I also flew in and out of IND and I agree that it's wonderful. Having local eateries is a big bonus. Given the right timing (and hunger level) I could actually see myself arriving at IND sometime and going to Shapiros for a sandwich instead of immediately leaving to go home.

Only three things irk me so far (and they're all greatly overshadowed by the positives at IND):

1. The fact that it takes about 10 minutes longer to get there from downtown.
2. The arrivals vehicle area that I complained about above.
3. The elimination of the 30 minute free parking. I know they justified that by providing the cell phone lot, but it feels like extortion to have to pay to park for 20 minutes so you can go inside to meet someone coming off a plane. It used to be free for 30 minutes or $1.50 for up to an hour. Now it's $2 for 30 minutes and $4 for an hour.

[ak72]

The parking is a very valid point, especially if they want the civic center to be a destination outside of the airport itself, which I don't think will happen in the first place, but the expensive parking makes it even worse. If they want people to go in and use the civic center and shop there they should have left the parking where it was.

[hoosier]

THere is a big need for a light-rail line connecting the new terminal to Union Station. It would be so awesome if one were built.

[SkywlkrSnd]

My wife's travel agency from work arranged a private tour of the airport this past week and I was able to tag along. It's not as big a deal now, since it's open to the public, but I was still pumped about going.

Shot a bunch of photos, most of which everyone has already seen in some form or another, but here are some more... (my apologies if you have seen ones like these.)

Glass passage between concourses, around the Civic Plaza. (Can't go through the plaza since it's pre-security)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3238/3122156955_229d556eac.jpg?v=0

Baggage claim looking up at main stairwell/escalator to main ticketing level. I love the lights that are installed under the handrails. Very slick.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3094/3122985900_d6b7f59a10.jpg?v=0

Rental car counters in the garage.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3125/3122160927_023e326115.jpg?v=0

Concourse A restrooms. Um...where are they???
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3230/3122156817_bfcdce24f5.jpg?v=0

It was a very cloudy and overcast day when we went, and there was still a ton of daylight coming through. Oddly enough, except for the Civic Plaza. It was a little dark. Probably because it's so full of glass that it would be blinding on a normal day, so all the glass is darkened and shaded. Overall, though, I really liked the new airport.

[ablerock]

Shot a bunch of photos, most of which everyone has already seen in some form or another, but here are some more... (my apologies if you have seen ones like these.)

Thanks for posting these. I went to the public tours, but it's nice to see what the airport looks like when it's functioning.

[arenn]

Here's a link to some cool pix of the airport at night:

http://good-times.webshots.com/album/569031789YqwtIB

[IndyTypeGuy]

I was at the airport again today. This was my first time using the departures drop off on the upper level. What a wreck. The 2nd half was a cluster of cars trying to get curb space. There were cars trying to get to the curb and cars trying to pull away all in very limited space. Traffic was at a stand still. But that isn't the worst of this horrible design.

Traffic flow gets a big fat "F". There are 2 lanes that go straight through and two lanes that appear to be for passenger drop off. The 2 drop off lanes merge into the two straight lanes at the same time they are curving to the left to go down the ramp. Lets add insult to injury. If you are in the right lane of the two through lanes you will be blindly forced into the left lane of the arrivals pickup road. You can't see whats coming and there is no room to watch traffic and merge in. With a massive blind spot you are shoved right into that left lane.

The designers should be embarrassed by the terrible job they did with the traffic flow. There is no excuse for it. The interchange and highway access was done great. But everything from there and up to the terminal honestly needs to be ripped out and completely redesigned. It is a total wreck and it will certainly cause many wrecks. It is a total failure right now during its first few months of operation which is taking place during an industry slowdown. What is going to happen when the airport is serving 10 million or 12 million passengers? A total disaster.

[arenn]

Let's be cautious here. Clearly, the airport guys can't get 100% right to start. The key is, did they get the stuff right that can't be fixed later at reasonable cost?

It sounds like the drop off area (which seemed pretty small to me) is an area of concern. It also seems the some of the signage is confusing in practice. (I'm told by a little birdie that there were supposed to be gigantic "A" and "B" signs over the respective security entrances, but they were axed for some reason).

Let's let the airport settle in for a few months, then see if the authority goes back and corrects things.

[GarfieldPark]

I dropped a friend off at the new terminal about a week ago (the Tuesday morning before Christmas) - on a pretty busy travel day - and had no problem whatsoever. Maybe I was just lucky - but really I didn't find anything that seemed particularly complicated. Just stay in the left two lanes until you see the spot where your airline checkin area is - pull into the curb lanes, find a spot to park / stop - drop off your passenger - and be on your way. It really wasn't anything difficult at all. Just my $.02

[IndyTypeGuy]

I don't think the stuff can be fixed without reworking quite a bit of the roads. The biggest problem comes not from the way in but rather the way out. The absolute biggest problem is the lack of space for merging. That problem exists in more than one place. It wasn't well planned. Some of the traffic flow mistakes looked pretty amateur.

[ak72]

Over the past month there has been some not so great news coming in from Delta. (For those who don't know, Northwest is now merged with Delta). IND-Austin and San Antonio has been dropped. IND-Denver will not be restarted. And IND-Hartford was dropped from 2x daily to 1x daily. I expect further "right sizing" to go on in here. Delta won't cut out all of the non-hub routes, they still have the corporate contract with Lilly, which is he reason they established the focus city in the first place. For the next few years landing fees will be around $13, which is incredibly high, it is enough to keep people from flying big places like Miami, Seattle, and Newark. They say fees will come back down once a they are in good financial standing again. That coupled with the recession and airlines cutting back flights leads to a situation where you should expect to see a good amount of those shiny new gates empty for at least a couple more years.

[GarfieldPark]

I'm just glad we're not Cincinnati. With the Delta - Northwest merger, the rumors I've been hearing are that the Delta hub there is going to be cut back significantly.

[cjfjapan]

Airport gallery missing a voice

Photo of Israeli, provocative caption removed after complaint

By Heather Gillers
heather.gillers@indystar.com

The goal of the photo exhibit at Indianapolis International Airport was to present the city to travelers as a welcoming and tolerant place. But airport officials have given one of those photos -- and its caption -- a less-than-welcome reception.

After the display was up for a month, airport officials have removed one of the photos and its caption because of a complaint -- though they won't say who complained or what precisely was the concern.

"I still don't know who complained and what the nature of the complaint was," said the artist, Indiana University photography Professor Jeffrey Wolin. "I'm just confused."

Story continues here (http://www.indystar.com/article/20090103/LOCAL18/901030427).

[cwilson758]

Doesn't Cincy have a terminal the size of our entire facility that is sitting empty?

[arenn]

I don't know if it is that big, but Cincinnati has a lot of unused facilities at their airport these days. It is radically oversized for the type of operation they have. However, I believe they very smartly forced Delta, DHL, etc. to issue or guarantee the debt and sign long term leases, so unless Delta files BK again, the city is probably safe from financial ruin because of the hub pull back.

[IndyTypeGuy]

It is just endless bad news out of IND. NW is ending 3 more routes. They are terminating MCO, FLL and BDL. This is in addition to the termination of SAT, AUS, DEN and the summer 2008 termination of MCI and PHL.

We've also lost PIT service on US and last year we lost Frontier service to CUN and we lost AirTran service to MSY. Also it appears that AirTran will not be returning SFO service and they have either terminated FLL service or have made it seasonal when that service was available last summer. I also don't see SRQ service being offered this summer as well.

The airport authority needs to be very aggressive getting new service before things turn very sour. BTW I assume these are not the end of the route changes. I fully expect us to lose NW service to TPA. Can't imagine their LAS service will be too far behind that.

[arenn]

It's the nature of the beast. I think we'll be ok in the long term. The focus city was nice, but operations like that are inherently ephemeral.

[IndyTypeGuy]

There are a number of holes in the IND service. Here are cities we have no service to.

PIT
SLC
SAN
MSY
SAT
AUS
PDX
BDL

You may be able to add FLL and SRQ to that list as well. Am I missing any big ones?

[philaustin06]

as of a couple months ago, we had a direct to FLL on Airtran

[cwilson758]

there is going to be even more cuts coming as the companies try to weather this economic storm. Honestly, I think IND is in much better position than many of our peer airports that are hubs or even relliant solely on cargo.

[IndyTypeGuy]

I'd like to see the city give up about $10 mil a year for the next 3 years to subsidize airline rent. Maybe bring rent down to what it was at the old terminal. I think that would give the airport a great boost and even provide a shot in the arm to the local economy by making IND a more appealing place to fly to. That should hopefully get us through the recession.

[IndyTypeGuy]

Bad news continues to come in for IND. NW ends TPA on April 1st and SEA and SFO do not come back this summer. As for now the only west coast service we'll have is LAX and who knows how long that will last. We have LAS but I call that almost west coast.

[IndyTypeGuy]

I know I've been hard on IND when it comes to some flaws in the terminal design. But they have worked to fix one of my biggest complaints and that is the clutter that blocked the flow of traffic out of the concourses. They've cleaned that up and it is much easier to move out. They are one sign away from really improving the passenger flow out of the concourse. They need a ceiling sign right next to the point where people exit security to go to the concourse. There is a sign over the security exit saying to not enter. They need one next to it along the longer walk. One side pointing straight to the concourse exit and one next to it pointing straight to the other concourse. That will help keep people moving. When you get to the security exit now you just feel like you are going the wrong way. If you watch people not familiar with the airport you'll see they seem a bit confused as where to go. I think the extra sign will get the to civic plaza and from there it is easy to find baggage claim.

I've flown out of IND twice now in a week and TSA has been great. They have been very friendly and the flow through security has been fast. I would say the new security checkpoint at IND is the best I've seen. I will be going through two more times in the next 8 days so we'll see if that continues.

BTW 96th St. Steak Burgers are really good. I think I am going to give Wolfgang Puck's a try tomorrow.