LaGuardia Airport Overhaul Will Cost More Than $7B, Cuomo Releases New Renderings

Since Governor Cuomo announced his plans last July for LaGuardia Airport’s long-awaited revamp, the price tag has been set at $4 billion, but yesterday at a groundbreaking for the project, that number rose to a whopping $7 billion, reports The Real Deal. Alongside Vice President Biden, the Governor explained that phase one, which includes the replacement of the Central Terminal Building (Terminal B), will carry the $4 billion cost, while the redevelopment of Delta’s Terminals C and D will require another $3 billion. And that’s not all; the new AirTrain and 24-hour ferry service will require even more funds. Aside from the updated cost estimates, Tuesday’s affair also brought new details and renderings.

According to a press release from the Governor’s office, spotted by Curbed, the Q70 bus route will be renamed “LaGuardia Link,” made into a Select Bus, and “relaunched with a distinctive new look” to help travelers “quickly find their way” between the airport and the Woodside-61st Street station (where the 7 train and LIRR stop) and the Jackson Heights Roosevelt Avenue station (where there’s the 7, E, F, M, and R trains). Other details include the addition of 3,000 new parking spaces and the move of the new terminal slightly closer to the Grand Central Parkway, which will “increase airport taxiways by more than two miles and reduce airport ground delays.”

Cuomo said yesterday:

LaGuardia is a key driver of New York’s economy and transportation network, but for far too long it has been outdated, overcrowded, and unworthy of the Empire State. Today, we are not just breaking ground – we are building an entirely new LaGuardia and transforming it into a world-class transportation gateway for the 21st century. This state has always been built to lead and now that legacy continues with this unprecedented project that will drive growth and generate continued prosperity for generations to come.

Half of Terminal B’s new gates are expected to open in 2018, with the main terminal area opening in early 2020. A second set of gates will open in two phases in 2020 and 2021.

[Via Curbed and TRD]

RELATED:

• Construction on LaGuardia AirTrain Kicks Off This Afternoon
• $4B Overhaul of LaGuardia Airport to Begin This Summer, New Renderings
• LaGuardia Overhaul Could Actually Cost $8 Billion and Take Over 10 Years to Complete
• Governor Cuomo Reveals Renderings for $4 Billion LaGuardia Airport Overhaul

All renderings via Governor Andrew Cuomo