Two local airports saw developments with terminal projects this month.
This week, the historic passenger terminal at Long Beach Airport is slated to reopen after the completion of a nearly $18 million renovation project.
That follows news earlier this month of an additional $8.2 million in federal funding for the $1.25 billion replacement terminal at Hollywood Burbank Airport.
The historic terminal at Long Beach Airport, which was then known as Daugherty Field, was built in 1941 and the opening ceremony was slated for December 8 of that year. Of course, that planned ceremony was upstaged by the events of the previous day; it was rescheduled for the following April.
More recently, as part of the larger landside improvements program at the airport, officials decided to include a renovation and restoration of the historic building. The work included seismic retrofits; the restoration of the iconic west entrance, which had been closed for decades; new west bay windows; preservation of the building’s iconic wall clock and original signage; updated restrooms; modernized administrative offices; and the conversion of the former ticketing area into space for rental car services.
But the biggest highlight of the restoration work was the uncovering of an entire floor mosaic by artist Grace Clements, bringing to light several vignettes, including a flight route map, a hand dialing a rotary telephone, maritime-themed art, oil wells and an emblem of the city of Long Beach’s incorporation. Small bits of the mosaic had remained exposed through the decades, but most of it had been covered up with carpet in the 1960s to reduce noise generated by people walking on it.
San Francisco-based Swinerton Builders was the main construction contractor and Dallas-based Corgan the lead design firm on the overall landside improvements program at Long Beach Airport, including the historic terminal renovation. Dallas-based AECOM served as the project manager.
At Hollywood Burbank Airport, the $8.2 million in funding awarded by the Federal Aviation Administration for the replacement terminal will go toward the construction of the foundation and waterproofing to meet design standards.
Groundbreaking for the replacement terminal took place in January; completion is expected in late 2026.
The design-build contractor team for the replacement terminal consists of Atlanta-based Holder Construction, San Francisco-based Pankow Builders and Inglewood-based TEC Constructors and Engineers. The design team for the new terminal is led by Corgan and New York-based CannonDesign.
