"McClellan-Palomar Airport to undergo redevelopment"

Friday, May 11, 2007

Carlsbad airport to undergo redevelopment
By Jesse Scaccia
The Encinitas (CA) Coast News


CARLSBAD - Carlsbad's McClellan-Palomar Airport won't be bigger after its
$24-million terminal redevelopment project, but it should be better. 

The project, which will include a new, more modern terminal, is limited to
constructing no more than the existing square feet of building area to
replace multiple existing deficient facilities, said Peter Drinkwater,
director of San Diego County Airports, which owns the airport. 

"The mishmash of buildings that presently form Palomar Airport commercial
terminal facilities, rental car, airport maintenance storage buildings and
automobile parking lots will be torn down and replaced with a new
18,000-square-foot commuter terminal," Drinkwater said. 

The new building will include improved passenger waiting and baggage claim
areas, a restaurant, an outdoor garden, a security operations center and
improved parking. One of the goals is to better the experience for commuters
who regularly fly to LAX on United Express or to Phoenix on US Air. 

"The facilities are old. The terminal was built in 1960. It wasn't set up
for commuters," said Willie Vasquez, manager of McClellan-Palomar Airport.

Currently, the airline terminal is a series of trailers bolted together.

Funding for the project will come from the Federal Aviation Administration
and from the Airport Enterprise Fund, which is money the county collects for
renting airport land to private interests. 

Service should not be affected during construction of the 24,000-square-foot
building, officials said. 

The goal is to have the entire project completed by the end of 2008, said
Bill Polick, spokesman for San Diego County Airports. 

"It will take us two or three months just to advertise for bids and
determine the low bid," Polick said. "We won't know ground breaking dates
until we determine the contractor."

McClellan-Palomar Airport, which is located on Palomar Airport Road, handled
201,070 flights in 2006. Traffic at the airport is expected to pick up this
summer. Vision Airlines has announced that they are planning to start
service to Las Vegas in June.

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