Governor announces $63.4 million transformation of Rochester airport
Photo courtesy of Gov. Cuomo’s Office
Press Release, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office ROCHESTER – Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today awarded $39.8 million in funding to Greater Rochester International Airport to activate the airport’s $63.4 million transformation.
The airport will be a state-of-the-art transportation hub with sustainable design, an improved passenger experience and increased economic opportunity, the governor said.
The project will overhaul the aging infrastructure of the airport with a wide-scale redesign of the terminal building, incorporating sustainable elements such as solar panels and rainwater collection, new signage, enhanced security measures, new technology to improve accessibility, and premier shopping and dining options for a world-class passenger experience.
“Rochester’s transformed airport will be a world-class transportation destination that showcases the best of the Finger Lakes,” Cuomo said. “Airports are the front doors to each region of our state, and they are critical to building on the momentum of our 21st century economy. Making investments in the future of upstate airports will provide new jobs and opportunities across New York, while helping attract residents, businesses, and visitors. This unprecedented transformation will equip the region with an airport of tomorrow and continue to push the Finger Lakes Forward.”
The funding is part of the first round of the Upstate Airport Economic Development and Revitalization Competition, first proposed by Governor Cuomo in his 2016 State of the State Address and later passed in the FY 2017 State Budget.
The Greater Rochester International Airport supports nearly 10,000 jobs in the Finger Lakes Region, and funding through this program will increase economic opportunity, expand retail options, and improve the overall passenger experience for a region undergoing continuing growth.
The project will renovate, rehabilitate and revitalize the Greater Rochester International Airport’s facilities and infrastructure, transforming an aging facility into a world-class passenger experience at a state-of-the-art transportation hub. The airport project includes a wide-scale redesign of the terminal building, adding premier shopping and dining options, enhanced safety measures and new TSA scanners to minimize wait times at the security checkpoint.
Other highlights include:
• Color-coded navigation between Concourses A and B, a digital information hub visible to passengers heading to either concourse, new windows with energy efficient glass bringing in additional sunlight, Bluetooth connectivity providing wayfinding, flight status and gate information, tablets and USB charging stations, and a play area designed with input from The Strong National Museum of Play.
• A new façade and architecturally significant design featuring a solar canopy over the skyway from the parking structure to the terminal. The canopy will enhance security and support sustainability with solar panels for night-time lighting and rainwater collection for landscape irrigation.
• New signage at the I-390 airport entrance.
• Enhanced accessibility, incorporating state-of-the-art technology engineered by the Rochester Institute for Technology’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf, making travel easier for the hearing impaired.
• A feasibility study about creating an on-site business incubator to further expand and develop accessibility technologies for airports.
