Airport official details planned 250,000‑sq‑ft processing building, AB connector and parking improvements

Airport presenter Ryan described a package of terminal and access improvements that he said will centralize security and baggage operations and improve passenger flow. "The central hall structure will be about a 250,000 sq ft processing building which will handle that security checkpoint and then a consolidated baggage claim area," Ryan said during the briefing.

Ryan said the project includes an AB connector — a secure hallway linking the AB and C concourses — that will allow passengers traveling only on one concourse to move between them behind security for the first time, creating more balanced use of concessions and facilities. "The AB connector is a hallway that will connect the airport on the secure side between the AB and C concourses," he said.

On checkpoint capacity, Ryan said planners expect to open seven lanes in the consolidated checkpoint because centralizing TSA staffing creates efficiency. "Initially planning for seven checkpoint lanes," he said, adding the facility could be expanded "up to 11 lanes total" if passenger volumes require it. He also told questioners that the airport is working with TSA to activate an additional lane at the C Concourse to address recent longer lines there.

Ryan reviewed new curbside and interior design elements — overhead canopies for pick‑up and drop‑off, wood‑ceiling vestibules and glass curtain walls — and urged travelers to use the cell‑phone lot during construction to reduce curb congestion. He said signage will improve as the contractor installs electronic message boards and wayfinding, and that contract security firm Kodiak Security and internal law enforcement will help patrol the curb.

The airport is studying a parking‑garage skybridge connection to the new facility and has identified a likely site for a third garage northeast of the newer garage, between two existing garages. Ryan said the airport board has awarded a design‑build contract to begin work on that expansion, and that orphaned surface lots will be consolidated into an economy parking area to simplify wayfinding.

Ryan also described an A/B concourse restroom modernization supported in part by a $6 million grant from the Federal Aviation Administration. That work will include companion care restrooms, nursing‑mother rooms and a service‑animal relief area, he said.

Officials discussed communications and travel messaging for upcoming large events such as Hoopfest and the Judo Nationals, and Ryan said project management is coordinating with marketing to increase social media and website updates; he added staffing for communications may be expanded to support active outreach.

On parking access, Ryan told Council President Wilkerson that shuttle service links the economy lot and the terminal, running "about every 10 or 15 minutes" with multiple stops to help travelers with luggage or children.

The briefing concluded with a procedural move into executive session on a separate matter. No formal votes on the project were taken at the meeting.