Work continues on the new terminal at Hollywood Burbank Airport.
The project, which carries a $1.3 billion budget, reached a construction milestone in January with the “topping out” – that is, when the final beam for the structure is installed at the highest point. Along with the now-completed steel structure, work done so far includes mass site grading, utility installation and completion of the parking garage basement.
This leaves the terminal building at about 32% completion and on schedule for an October 2026 opening.
The new terminal will replace the current facility, which was built in 1930, and comes with a strong political mandate – nearly 70% of Burbank voters approved the initiative in 2016. With the new 355,000 square foot facility, the airport will continue to have 14 gates, while sporting contemporary design elements, seismic protections and energy efficient infrastructure.
“With the new passenger terminal, we are aiming to provide the same, and improved where possible, level of convenience and quality of service that passengers enjoy at the current facility,” said John Hatanaka, executive director of the airport, in an email. “And we are always learning from our colleagues at other airports, as they too seek to improve.”
The joint venture running the design-build of the terminal includes Atlanta-based Holder Construction, which has handled numerous airport projects nationwide; Pasadena-based Pankow Builders, which has handled local projects like the Mission College East Campus Complex in Sylmar and the Zev Yaroslavsky Family Support Center in Van Nuys; Inglewood-based TEC Constructors & Engineers, which has contributed to numerous projects at Los Angeles International Airport; Dallas-based Corgan, an architecture firm that has a plethora of airport projects, including at LAX, in its portfolio; New York-based CannonDesign, which worked on the Showtime West Coast headquarters in West Hollywood; and Kansas City, Missouri-based Burns & McDonnell, which boasts a variety of aviation engineering expertise. Jacobs Project Management is handling project management services.
Currently working on exteriors
Workers are now installing the outer layer of the terminal buildings as well as the mechanical, electrical and plumbing infrastructure within the structure itself. Once that is completed, they will move onto the terminal dry-in – weather-proofing the exterior, so that interior work can be done free of the elements – followed by the interior buildout, parking structure construction and the taxiway tie-in.
The new terminal is positioned separately from the current facility, in keeping with modern airport regulations. The original building will be torn down once the new terminal opens.
“The terminal construction project has had no impact on operations at the airport, since it’s being built on a parcel completely separate from the current facility, adjacent to the airfield,” Hatanaka said. “We’ve been fortunate. That location has allowed us to operate seamlessly at BUR while construction continues.”
The Hollywood Burbank Airport – which is jointly owned and managed by Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena – enjoys its role as an easier alternative to LAX for local travelers. The airport last year set its all-time passenger record with 6.55 million people traveling through the hub, a 9% growth rate from the previous year.
