{"id":26419,"date":"2023-08-16T14:54:48","date_gmt":"2023-08-16T14:54:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/saj.pachecostudios.com?p=26419"},"modified":"2023-08-16T17:05:56","modified_gmt":"2023-08-16T17:05:56","slug":"asheville-regional-airport-breaks-ground-on-avl-forward-a-landmark-infrastructure-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/news\/airports\/asheville-regional-airport-breaks-ground-on-avl-forward-a-landmark-infrastructure-project\/%20","title":{"rendered":"Asheville Regional Airport Breaks Ground on AVL Forward, a Landmark Infrastructure Project"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Photo above – Groundbreaking with gold sledgehammers: L-R:  Michael Reisman, Chief Operating Officer, Asheville Regional Airport; Brad Galbraith, Chair of the Greater Asheville Regional Airport Authority Board; Lew Bleiweis, President & CEO, Asheville Regional Airport; Congressman Chuck Edwards, United States House of Representatives; Steve Hicks, Director of Airports Division, Federal Aviation Administration Southern Region.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) has embarked on a historic\njourney to break ground on AVL Forward, the most significant infrastructure\nendeavor in the airport’s 60-plus year history. \nIn recent years, Asheville Regional Airport has experienced remarkable\ngrowth, and the construction of a new airport terminal is a natural next step\nfor this vital hub connecting the western North Carolina region to the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The groundbreaking ceremony included airport stakeholders,\ncommunity leaders, and local, regional, and national elected officials, who\nwitnessed the end of an era and the beginning of the future when a corner of\nthe 62-year-old airport terminal was torn down. This historic occasion\ncelebrated the visionary efforts and collaboration that have paved the way for\nthe transformative AVL Forward project, highlighting the vision of past and\ncurrent leaders. The expansive project is a result of a $400 million\ninvestment, supported by a combination of funding sources including federal and\nstate grants, airport revenue bonds, and airport operating revenue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Lew Bleiweis, President & CEO, Asheville Regional Airport. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur new airport terminal represents more than just a\nbuilding; it signifies the promise of economic growth and prosperity for our\ncommunity,\u201d said Lew Bleiweis, President and CEO of the Greater Asheville\nRegional Airport Authority (GARAA).  \u201cWe\nare creating an environment that not only facilitates air travel but also\nelevates the overall airport experience, designed to leave lasting positive\nimpressions on all who pass through our doors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Upon completion, the AVL Forward project will yield a remarkable\nairport terminal that stands 150% larger than the current airport. The airport\nwill grow from seven gates to twelve, with ample room for further expansion.\nThe new design concept, inspired by the natural beauty of the western North\nCarolina mountains, will feature a spacious and bright grand lobby,\nstate-of-the-art ticketing and baggage claim areas, an inviting concessions\nplaza, and thoughtfully designed gate areas to enhance passenger comfort and\nexperience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Gresham Smith rendering<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Award-winning architectural firm Gresham Smith led an\ninnovative design process resulting in AVL Forward’s aesthetic vision,\nharmonizing modern functionality with the region’s distinctive charm. Gresham\nSmith brings a wealth of expertise and creativity to the project, promising a\nterminal that will not only serve the practical needs of travelers but also\nexude the welcoming and authentic essence of the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Construction of the new terminal will be managed by Hensel\nPhelps, an industry leader known for its commitment to excellence and innovation.\nFurther enriching the project’s management will be the expertise of Parsons, a\nfirm with a specialty in construction management services. Hired as an\nextension of the airport\u2019s planning staff, their involvement helps ensure that\nAVL Forward will meet the highest standards of quality and efficiency\nthroughout every phase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To keep the community engaged and informed, Asheville Regional Airport has launched a dedicated section of its website: flyavl.com\/avlforward<\/a>. Here, visitors can access up-to-date information, images, a timeline of project milestones, an educational video detailing the project’s scope, and various ways to actively engage with the airport throughout the duration of this transformative initiative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Gresham Smith rendering<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The AVL Forward project marks a pivotal leap forward for\nAsheville Regional Airport, solidifying its role as a gateway to and from\nwestern North Carolina. With construction now underway, the airport is set to\nachieve new heights of convenience, comfort, and connectivity for the millions\nof passengers who will pass through its doors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It’s an exciting day,” said Bleiweis, “and\nthe beginning of a journey that I hope our region is willing to take with us. I\nwant to thank our travelers and the community for their patience during this\nextraordinarily complex construction project. The next few years will be\ntransitional, and the end result will be worth it. We will all be proud of our\nnew airport.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Construction Phases<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phase One:   The\nexisting north concourse will be demolished in August 2023, followed by an\napproximate two-year period of construction of a new north concourse, which\nwill house seven gates and six boarding bridges (which include spacious gate\nhold rooms, restrooms and concessions areas). \nAdditionally, the northern expansion of the ticket lobby, a temporary\nTSA checkpoint and south baggage claim expansion will be constructed.  *Milestone moment:  When construction is complete, the new north\nconcourse will open for passenger and airline use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phase Two:  The\nexisting south concourse will be demolished, followed by an approximate 1.5\nyear period of construction of a new south concourse, second-level concessions\nplaza, the southern expansion of the ticket lobby, the northern expansion of\nbaggage claim, construction of the new grand lobby and permanent TSA security\ncheck point. *Milestone moment: Upon completion of this phase, the airport will\nfeel brand new, with twelve gates and boarding bridges and expansive space for\nall points in the passenger journey within the airport terminal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phase Three:  Due to\nthe significant phasing approach necessary, there will still be some \u201cback of\nhouse\u201d construction, demolition and clean up occurring for approximately\nanother year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stay Connected with AVL Forward<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visit the dedicated AVL Forward website for project updates, images, milestones, and more: flyavl.com\/avlforward<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Photo above – Groundbreaking with gold sledgehammers: L-R:  Michael Reisman, Chief Operating Officer, Asheville Regional Airport; Brad Galbraith, Chair of the Greater Asheville Regional Airport Authority Board; Lew Bleiweis, President & CEO, Asheville Regional Airport; Congressman Chuck Edwards, United States House of Representatives; Steve Hicks, Director of Airports Division, Federal Aviation Administration Southern Region. Asheville […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":26426,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[33,53],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26419","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-airports","category-north-carolina"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_2552-edit-1.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26419","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26419"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26419\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26427,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26419\/revisions\/26427"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26426"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26419"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26419"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26419"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}