Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport

[Obfuscatus]

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[spellbound]

I'm sure we agree on plenty of things. Forums like this inevitably amplify people's disagreements rather than their commonality. I have yet to find any message board where that isn't the case. Plus, there's the built-in dynamic of everyone always wanting to be seen as 100% right all the time, even though none of us are in reality. Just the nature of the beast.

Anyway, yeah, that kind of "turf war" with airports is pretty funny. ACY (Atlantic City) has a few placed strategically on the way to PHL as well.

Hopefully with fuel prices (supposedly) about to drop pretty significantly we'll see a bit lower fares soon...although I won't be holding my breath on that one. Been jonesing for a trip to Montreal but the prices have been très ridicule lately.

[MAH45462]

Originally Posted by spellbound

Hopefully with fuel prices (supposedly) about to drop pretty significantly we'll see a bit lower fares soon...although I won't be holding my breath on that one. Been jonesing for a trip to Montreal but the prices have been très ridicule lately.

Check out Spirit or Allegiant to Plattsburgh. From there it's a quick Amtrak train to Montreal.

[Obfuscatus]

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[spellbound]

Originally Posted by Obfuscatus

Not an option, since he doesn't live in Miami. He lives in Philadelphia.

Actually, it is since the trip may well originate down there if my brother wants to go. Gonna be back and forth a lot this Summer.

If not, some sleuthing turned up some cheapo Newark/Burlington flights. That's doable since EWR is an easy train ride (and Burlington is a really cool town to spend a day in, anyway).

Hard to say where I live these days. The back-and-forth between here and South Florida is so frequent at this point that I'm getting dizzy. What's the midway point? Somewhere in South Carolina? Maybe that's "home."

(and thanks for the heads up with Allegiant & Spirit if I do it that way, MAH!)

[ftlauddude]

Originally Posted by spellbound

Actually, it is since the trip may well originate down there if my brother wants to go. Gonna be back and forth a lot this Summer.

If not, some sleuthing turned up some cheapo Newark/Burlington flights. That's doable since EWR is an easy train ride (and Burlington is a really cool town to spend a day in, anyway).

Hard to say where I live these days. The back-and-forth between here and South Florida is so frequent at this point that I'm getting dizzy. What's the midway point? Somewhere in South Carolina? Maybe that's "home."

(and thanks for the heads up with Allegiant & Spirit if I do it that way, MAH!)

Burlington is really cool and it's just 1 hour away from Montreal--used to live there when I went to college. There's a bus, which costs like $50, to go to Montreal and it drops you by the Berri-UQAM subway Sta. Good luck!

[spellbound]

Originally Posted by ftlauddude

Burlington is really cool and it's just 1 hour away from Montreal--used to live there when I went to college. There's a bus, which costs like $50, to go to Montreal and it drops you by the Berri-UQAM subway Sta. Good luck!

Been there many times, and love it. Burlington is a place I've thought about settling in at some point, or at least keeping a place there.

[ftlauddude]

FLL airport noise shift: Diagonal runway in full-time use for next 65 days

By Michael Mayo May 3, 2011 04:06 PM

Get used to a different noise pattern around the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport for the next two months.

The dreaded diagonal runway will be pressed into full-time duty as a major construction project sidelines the main north runway through July 7.

The shift started early this morning, meaning a lot more noise in neighborhoods such as southwestern Fort Lauderdale, east Plantation and the eastern parts of Dania Beach (my home windows started rattling about 6 a.m. as departing flights did steep banked turns over Dania Beach Boulevard).

“People are upset – they didn’t realize the magnitude of this,” said airport spokesman Greg Meyer. “We’ve been getting calls all day long.”

The change means a temporary respite for residents along the usual main runway landing corridor in Davie and the Griffin Road area of western Dania Beach.

Airport officials warn the project could mean increased flight delays.

Contractors are scheduled to work around the clock for the next two months to get things wrapped up on time.

The improvements include:

--High speed runway exits to allow safer and faster clearance of the runway by landing jets.

--Installation of runway status lights, which alerts pilots to runway incursions.

--Widening taxiways at the east end of the main runway, allowing departing flights to line up more efficiently.

Those with noise complaints, concerns or questions can contact airport noise specialist Winston Cannicle at 954-359-6181 or community outreach coordinator Allan Siegel at 954-359-6978.

You can also check out a Q&A about the north runway project and temporary diagonal runway usage at the FLL airport's website here: http://www.broward.org/Airport/Advis...reFAQs.aspx#q1

Let me know if you're impacted by this, and how much of a headache (literally) the next two months will be.

http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news...ft_diagon.html

[Miami High Rise]

On the MIA airport expy near the western terminus there's a billboard that says "FLL, South Florida's most affordable airport" or something to that effect. Is it really cheaper than MIA?

It only cost me 138 each way to fly from ROC to MIA with one stop in Atlanta and back last late november/early december.

[ftlauddude]

Construction Update, Monday, May 9th

As of Monday, May 9th, the project is on schedule. The closure of the North Runway (9L-27R) began on schedule at 12:01 a.m. on May 3rd. The demolition phase immediately began to expose the fuel lines and prepare tie-ins where the new high speed exits will join the runway. By late afternoon on Friday, May 6th, the contractor finished installing the protective precast slabs over the Fuel Line, poured the concrete in-fills, and backfilled over the slabs. Workers also compacted the backfill.

The contractor prepared to pave on Thursday, May 5, 2011 at High Speed Exit Taxiway A4. They had to delay the operation due to rain and excessive moisture conditions. Paving did start on Friday May 6, 2011 at 6 p.m. About 3,000 tons of asphalt was poured to re-enforce the edges at Taxiway B5, A4.


http://www.broward.org/Airport/Advis...s/Default.aspx

[ftlauddude]

Construction Update, June 14, 2011

The work is on schedule six weeks into the project.

Workers are removing muck outside the Taxiway Bravo 2 runway safety area.

The contractor is almost finished placing the lime-rock base, compacting, and testing it for Taxiway Bravo 2. Paving will start for this area on June 15.

To date, a total of 29,305 tons of asphalt have been placed. The contractor will complete the paving of Taxiways Alpha 5 and Bravo 4 by June 14.

Work continues on the installation of the edge lighting along the North Runway and the Runway Guard Lights at Taxiway Alpha and Bravo bypasses.

http://www.broward.org/Airport/Advis...s/Default.aspx

[diablo234]

Originally Posted by Miami High Rise

On the MIA airport expy near the western terminus there's a billboard that says "FLL, South Florida's most affordable airport" or something to that effect. Is it really cheaper than MIA?

It only cost me 138 each way to fly from ROC to MIA with one stop in Atlanta and back last late november/early december.

It depends but fares tend to be lower at FLL compared with MIA because more low cost carriers such as Southwest, JetBlue, Virgin America, Spirit, etc prefer to use FLL because of American Airlines dominant position at MIA.

[ftlauddude]

Fort Lauderdale charter makes historic flight to Havana

Airline Brokers Co. launches weekly nonstop service from Fort Lauderdale to Havana. It’s the third Florida airport with a Cuba connection.
mwhitefield@MiamiHerald.com

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport’s first charter flight to Cuba in decades took off Saturday afternoon after a spray of water christened its 1 p.m. departure.

To mark the occasion, the 110 passengers were greeted with balloons, pastelitos and Cuban-style soft drinks. They also got gift packs that included maracas and piruli — old-fashioned tricolor Cuban lollipops.

Using a leased JetBlue plane, Airline Brokers Co. will be providing nonstop service from Fort Lauderdale to Havana every Saturday as well as a return flight.

Vivian Mannerud, president and founder of Airline Brokers, passed out straw hats to the passengers and the check-in took on a party air. Trays of cake and guava pastries were passed and charter employees danced with passenger, salsa style. They also did the cha-cha-cha.

“It’s a very festive day. I’m very happy, “ said Mannerud as she waved a Cuban flag.

Under the Obama administration’s liberalized Cuba travel policy, a dozen airports, including Fort Lauderdale, joined Miami, New York and Los Angeles earlier this year as locations authorized to handle Cuba charters from the United States and Puerto Rico. Tampa and San Juan, Puerto Rico, were the first airports to initiate new service.

The round-trip flight from Fort Lauderdale costs $379, somewhat less than the $409 to $439 that Airline Brokers charges for its Cuba service from Miami International Airport, said Mannerud, president and founder of the charter company.

The price was an attractive feature for many passengers who also got to take an extra 20 pounds of carry-on baggage for free, beyond the first 44 pounds.

Luz Gonzalezof Miami, going to visit her husband in Matanzas, liked the idea of being on the historic flight from Fort Lauderdale. “We’ve never been to this airport before. It’s a lot less crowded.”

Fort Lauderdale had been out of the Cuba passenger loop for the past 24 years although there have been occasional flights carrying medical relief supplies to Cuba in the intervening years.

As the Mariel boatlift began in the spring of 1980, Fort Lauderdale was officially designated as the South Florida gateway to and from Cuba. It retained this status until June 1987, though in practice MIA handled most of the charter flights to and from the island. Until that designation changed, however, charter companies using MIA had to get a waiver to take off and land.

The Broward County airport has been seeking permission to handle flights to and from Cuba at least since 1999 when it made a request during a period of the Clinton administration when the president had relaxed trade restrictions on Cuba.

CTS (Cuba Travel Services), a California company, also hopes to offer Cuba charters from Fort Lauderdale in the future.


Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/09/1...#ixzz1YFA0EnVq

[ftlauddude]

Moved it here...

Originally Posted by FTL Beach Bum

Early construction has already started on the western phase of Terminal 4. Source





The goal:

The Atkins North America, Inc. team (formerly PBS&J) submitted the 90% design plans for the site preparation and navigational aids infrastructure in August 2011. The site prep work includes earth fill, retaining wall installation, storm drainage, and underground utilities.

Atkins also submitted these other design packages:
• 60% design plans for the south runway and taxiway pavement.
• 60% design plans for the cross-field taxiway pavement, lighting, markings, and signage.

Broward County Purchasing Department received the proposals from the five short-listed Runway Structures design-build teams.

In May, 2011, Broward County Highway Construction and Engineering Division submitted the 90% design for the 10th Street Extension. The extension allows for the relocation of Taylor Road which is within the eastern footprint of the expanded South Runway. This project also includes the relocation of numerous utilities within the runway footprint east of Federal Highway. This was incorporated into the design/build package for the runway structures.

Singer Architects completed the design drawings for the Taylor Road overhead street lighting.


Terminal 4 Gate Replacement
PGAL/Zyscovich completed the schematic design for the complete Terminal 4 gate expansion. They are now working on the design development documents for the western portion of the gate replacement.

EAC Consulting submitted the completed design drawings for the Terminal 4 Hydrant Fueling System, Phase 1. Phase 1 will relocate the existing fuel line to make way for the installation of the building foundations.

HDR Engineering submitted the draft of the pavement and drainage design plans.


Accomplishments To Date
September 18, 2011

FLLAIR consists of three projects: the Expansion of the South Runway, Land Acquisition, and Terminal 4 Gate Replacement.

Expansion of the South Runway (9R-27L)
•Demolition of the “BCAD Bunker” occurred in August 2011.
•Atkins prepared and submitted the 60% design package for the South Runway and Associated Taxiway Paving, Lighting, Signage and Marking [Work Package (WP) 304] in July 2011.
•Atkins prepared and submitted the 90% design package for the Site Preparation and NAVAIDS Infrastructure (WP 302) in August 2011.
•Adkins submitted the 60% design package for Taxiways P&Q and Associated Hold Pad Paving, Lighting, Signage and Marking (WP 305) in July 2011.
•Negotiations for Design-Build services for the Runway Structure began in September 2011.
•Staff negotiated a contract for the Runway Construction Project Management with Parsons Transportation Group. A Notice to Proceed was issued in September 2011.
•A Request for Letters of Interest for Runway Quality Acceptance and Materials Testing services was advertised in September 2011.
•Staff submitted an application to the South Florida Water Management District for construction of the runway, and received conditional approval in August 2011.
•Staff submitted an application to the Army Corp of Engineers for wetland work. We expect to receive approval in the fourth quarter of 2011.
•Staff continued developing the agreements with the FEC Railroad and Florida Department of Transportation necessary to construct the runway and taxiway structures.

Land Acquisitions
•Broward County Real Properties, BCAD, and outside counsel are continuing with the property assessment to acquire the Hilton Hotel and Dania Boat Sales.
•Work continues to clear the titles of County owned properties east of old US 1 to 7th Avenue.
•Planning discussions continue with Sheltair regarding leasehold modifications and future development.

Terminal 4 (T4) Gate Replacement
•Staff negotiated the fifth amendment to PGAL/Zyscovich’s (PZ) contract for design services for the T4 Western Expansion.
•PZ submitted the 100% Schematic Design plans in May 2011.
•PZ submitted the Design Development Plans for review in September 2011.
•PZ submitted an Aircraft Layout Plan in September 2011.
•HDR completed preliminary design for the apron reconstruction (Work Package 404) around the T4 West Expansion. Staff also negotiated a Work Authorization to complete the apron design.
•Staff negotiated with EAC Consultants to provide design for the T4 West Fuel Hydrant System. EAC completed the 14-inch primary loop design for the T4 West Expansion phase.
•EAC Consultants submitted the conceptual designs for underground utility modifications. They continue with the Preliminary Design of the Landside Improvements project (WP 406).
•On June 30, 2011, EAC submitted the “Issued for Bid” documents for the F-2 fixed passenger boarding bridge (WP 406).
•Staff negotiated a contract with Cummings Balfour Beatty for T4 Construction Manager at Risk services. A Notice To Proceed was issued in January 2011.
•Negotiations began with a selected T4 Construction Project Manager (CPM) in September 2011.


Activities In The Next 12 Months
•A contract will be executed with a team to design-build the runway structures over the FEC railroad and Federal Highway (WP 303). Construction will begin in the first quarter of 2012.
•Demolition of the former Port Everglades ID and Lancaster Steel buildings will make way for the South Runway expansion.
•The South Runway will close in the second quarter of 2012 for reconstruction and extension.
•The South Runway site civil work and NAVAIDs construction will start in the second quarter of 2012.
•PZ will complete the Design Development phase for Terminal 4 western gate replacement.
•For Terminal 4, PZ will complete the 30% Construction Documents and 100% Foundation drawings in the fourth quarter of 2011 (WP 403).
•In September 2011, early construction started on the western phase of T4.
•A contract will be executed with a CPM for Terminal 4.

[Andyxox]

http://www.zyscovich.com/project.cfm?pid=258

[ftlauddude]

From their website:

"...PROJECT DETAILS

Zyscovich, in a joint venture with PGAL (Pierce Goodwin Alexander Lineville) and ADPi (Aerorports de Paris, international) produced the concept design and schematic drawings for a new twenty-gate facility that dramatizes the theater of travel. Because the experience of travel begins with anticipation, the approach to the airport will initiate the dramatic sequence. Essentially transparent, the glass terminal will be filled with light, and activity within will be visible from a distance. From the curb, passengers will cross a bridge leading into a soaring interior landscape where all way-finding is evident, and layers of transparency make it possible for passengers to see readily where they need to proceed. The two-phase project will serve a mix of domestic and international flights ranging in sizes from small commuter aircrafts to 747s and other jumbo jets. It includes plans for a high level of passenger amenities, a wide choice of concessions, an elevated sterile corridor and state of the art security systems. The architecture will be defined by glass curtain walls on the north and south facades, forty-foot high clerestories, interior translucencies, slanted interior glass walls, and lush, tropical landscaping..."

[DShoost88]

That's a little ridiculous. The runways at FLL will never be long enough to accommodate "747's and other jumbo jets". That is unless the county wants to make the south runway an additional 3,000+ feet long.

[Obfuscatus]

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[ChiefST]

Can someone please explain how they are proceeding with the South Runway construction BEFORE they completer the deal to purchase the land where the Hilton Hotel and the Boat Sales place are located? Isn't that small detail actually the biggest problem with the plan?

[FTL Beach Bum]

Originally Posted by ChiefST

Can someone please explain how they are proceeding with the South Runway construction BEFORE they complete the deal to purchase the land where the Hilton Hotel and the Boat Sales place are located? Isn't that small detail actually the biggest problem with the plan?

Just like everything else in Broward politics, isn't it?

I wouldn't necessarily call it the biggest problem with the plan (that title has to go to just getting final approval of the runway extension after decades of planning and fighting with NIMBYs), but there's no telling how long this little kink will draw out.

County: Airport Hilton must be demolished
Site is too close to new runway for Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International

By Brittany Wallman, Sun Sentinel

5:03 p.m. EST, December 19, 2011


One thing is certain _ before the new $791 million runway at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is built and opened for business, the Airport Hilton will have to go.

The gold-colored high-rise juts into a zone that aviation officials say must be kept clear of potential hazards to aircraft. The last thing the Federal Aviation Administration wants near a commercial jet runway is a hotel packed with people. Airport officials say the Hilton is in the mandatory "clear zone." (You might as well call it a potential "crash zone.")

"Very, very, very, very clearly, it has to be removed,'' airport Director Kent George said.

Government land purchases can be thorny and take longer than expected, though, and the Hilton problem is yet another one the county has to be resolve before the runway, in the works for decades, can open.

Talked about for years, the county's purchase and demolition of the Airport Hilton, and those of another property next door also deemed a potential risk to arriving and departing planes – must begin soon. Design and engineering work for the new runway is under way, and construction is scheduled to begin next month. The 8,000-foot-long airstrip is scheduled to open in September 2014, but that will be impossible if the hotel and the boat warehouse to the west haven't been razed.

"When the commission decided to do the longer runway,'' said Broward Mayor John Rodstrom, "it meant they'd have to take the Hilton down.''

At the 400-room, eight-story hotel, there are no hints that it's in the crosshairs of a government wrecking-ball. But as guests swim in the courtyard pool or rest in hammocks, the loud buzz of jets to the north provides a unmistakable reminder there is an international airport beyond the landscaping.

"Unless I see a bulldozer, I'm not going to stress,'' Maricel Nicholson said from behind the gift shop counter. "I don't worry about it.''

But many of the Hilton's bellhops, servers and other employees have been hearing for years about the planned new runway, and are concerned about where they'll find new jobs, she said.

General Manager Michael Matheson said he had no comment and referred the Sun Sentinel to Hilton corporate officials, who said they don't own the building and couldn't comment either. Efforts to contact the landowner, Ft Lauderdale Owner LLC, were unsuccessful.

The new runway will serve as a second "main'' runway at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International, parallel to the first. It will run along the airport's south side and, like a jump aircraft carrier, rise six stories over U.S. 1 and Florida East Coast train tracks.

The Hilton stands west of the runway path, next to Interstate 95 and north of Griffin Road.

The county is in talks now with the hotel owners to buy it and demolish it, airport officials said. Broward also hopes to buy two mobile home parks, Ocean Waterway and Marshalls Everglades, where noise levels inside the manufactured homes are expected to exceed 65 decibels, the FAA's high-noise threshold. But demolition of the residences isn't required by FAA flight safety rules, George said.

Another piece of land, next door to the Hilton to the east, is partially in the runway clear zone, said land-use lawyer Debbie Orshefsky, who represents the owner. She said a hotel could be built there, but the owner has also expressed interest in selling to the county.

"It has development potential,'' Orshefsky said, "and what happens to the portion that's in the runway protection zone, I don't know.''

What Broward will pay for the Airport Hilton and the other properties is unknown, though it's sure to be in the tens of millions. The Airport Hilton site, in Dania Beach, is assessed for property tax purposes at $20.4 million, county records show.

The boat warehouse the county also has to purchase, located to the immediate west, is owned by LaPointe Ltd. and is assessed by the county at $1.3 million. The site Orshefsky represents, known as the Village Marina property and owned by HWMG Investments LLC, is assessed for tax purposes at $5 million.

Airport spokesman Greg Meyer said if an agreeable deal can't be reached, the county will have to go to court to use its right of eminent domain – a process by which government declares a piece of land is needed for a public purpose, and forces the owner to sell. The final price is determined in court. But the process can be time-consuming and costly.

Broward Mayor John Rodstrom said the purchase of the Hilton, which will be made with airport revenues, not property tax dollars paid by county residents, should be completed "sooner rather than later,'' before the property market revives and the county has to "pay top dollar.''

"We've had a pretty severe real estate recession,'' he said, "and we're probably near the bottom.''

Source


Other than the small property to the east of the Hilton, it doesn't state whether the affected property owners are willing to sell. Hilton doesn't own the building, so that's one set of lawyers they won't have to deal with.