Friday, March 30, 2007
By NATHAN
CRABBE
The Gainesville (FL)
Sun
The Gainesville Regional Airport is getting a face-lift for its
passenger terminal to go along with a new face in charge.
But
airport officials acknowledge more must be done to improve the airport's
image among area residents.
Construction is expected to start
within the next two weeks on the nearly $7 million renovation of the
airport passenger terminal. The project includes building a new concession
area, expanding the passenger waiting area and refurbishing the rest of
the terminal.
The work isn't expected to disrupt travel, but will
cause cramped conditions at times over the next 11 months. Allan Penksa,
the airport's interim CEO since Rick Crider announced his departure late
last year, said he hopes travelers understand the improvements will turn a
dark and drab terminal into a more inviting place.
"When it's all
said and done, they're hopefully going to have a terminal to be proud of,"
Penska said.
The airport went through some rough spots in 2006,
starting with Northwest Airlines departing the airport in May and ending
with Penska taking over for Crider. He is now in negotiations to be the
full-time CEO.
He'll be faced with an airport undergoing aesthetic
changes at the same time passenger travel is lagging. Airport travel
dropped to 22,443 passengers in February, the lowest number since
September 2004.
Penksa said changing the look of the airport alone
likely won't attract new travelers. But he said the renovated terminal
will make for a more pleasant travel experience and provide a better first
impression of the community.
"It's good to make a good impression,
to put our best foot forward," he said.
Some travelers at the
airport welcomed the renovations but said they wouldn't factor in their
travel decisions. Gainesville resident Dave Brooks said he regularly flies
for his work at a local engineering firm, but the limited options at the
airport make arranging flights from here difficult.
He said
renovations wouldn't affect his travel decisions as much as adding flights
and lowering prices.
"I want more convenience, more service, more
options out of Gainesville," he said.
While airport officials say
they're working on those issues, they say the renovations are much
needed.
The airport was built in 1979 at the height of the energy
crisis, so it was designed to use solar energy to heat water and had other
energy-saving features. Penksa said the heating and cooling system never
worked properly, so much of the renovation costs will go toward replacing
that system.
The terminal's design was meant to minimize the amount
of sunlight inside, lowering cooling costs. But the design also caused the
terminal to be dark and dreary, which will also be addressed in
renovations, Penska said.
A courtyard will be capped with a
skylight, allowing the passenger waiting area to be expanded and better
lit. The rest of the terminal will be brightened with new signs, flooring,
paint and furnishings.
"I think it's going to be a much more
inviting place to be," he said.
Other major changes include a new
concession area and added bathrooms. The improvements mark the second
phase of airport renovations, following a first stage that include new
passenger boarding bridges.
The airport had also planned a new
entrance road, connecting the airport directly with Waldo Road. But Penksa
said the airport is still seeking funding for the remaining cost of that
$3.5 million project.
Airport officials admit those changes alone
won't attract more travelers. Travel agents say the higher cost of flying
out of Gainesville is a major reason why people choose airports in
Jacksonville or Orlando.
The airport is trying to address this by
putting a cost calculator on its Web site, showing Gainesville fares are
competitive when factoring in the cost of parking and driving. Nicki
Wagner, a travel agent with Holbrook Travel in Gainesville, said she has
some clients who choose Gainesville for its convenience.
"We do
have clients who will leave from Gainesville no matter what," she
said.
Overseas travelers often pick the airport, she said, because
they can easily connect with international flights in Atlanta. But Wagner
said domestic travelers are less likely to fly out of Gainesville because
of limited options to some destinations, so she would like to see flights
added to additional hubs, among other changes.
Pete Johnson,
chairman of the airport's governing authority, said he's pushing for
additional service. He said he's been in talks with the budget carrier
JetBlue to offer direct flights to New York City from
Gainesville.
While conceding Gainesville was low on the carrier's
priority list, Johnson said he thought the airport should at least make an
attempt.
"If you don't have that vision of getting it, you're not
going to get it," he said.
But he said expanding the use of
existing service was a top priority.
"A lot of people don't even
know we have an airport," he said.
Penksa said he'll be talking
with major employers, such as the University of Florida, about committing
to use the airport more. The airport must get to a point where anyone who
travels considers it as a first option, he said.
"Our challenge is
to get people to look at Gainesville every time the travel," he
said.
A renovated airport will help improve the travel experience,
he said. Besides, he said, the airport is a public building that provides
some travelers with their first impression of Gainesville.
"For
people that visit the area, it certainly represents something about the
community," he said.
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