Officials at the International Airport of St. Louis Lambert (STL) are moving forward on a major effort to modernize the 68-year-old facility, negotiating a contract with the AEOCOM Hunt-Clayco joint venture to act as construction manager at risk (CMAR) for the proposed $3 billion consolidated terminal project. At the same time, crews have begun building a new airfield maintenance complex.
“We are working to get our construction manager at risk under contract for the terminal project,” says Jerry Beckmann, the airport’s deputy director. He adds that the team aims to finalize terms by the end of the year, allowing AECOM Hunt-Clayco to begin preconstruction services, including cost estimating and construction capacity reviews, for the plan to consolidate the airport’s two terminals into a single facility at the current Terminal 1, expanding gate capacity from 54 to 62.
The airlines serving STL have already approved $1 billion in design and construction financing for the terminal project, with HOK as the lead architect. Whether the full modernization moves forward, Beckmann said, “depends on an affirmative vote from the airlines, which may be next year.”
On Oct. 13, the airport broke ground on a $114 million airfield snow removal and maintenance equipment facility being built by Wright Construction Services of St. Louis.
The 285,000-square-foot facility will consolidate snow removal, vehicle maintenance, material storage, landscaping and other airfield operations into one centralized location. These functions are currently spread over nine old buildings, some of which are over 50 years old.
“This new facility represents a major step forward in strengthening the airport’s infrastructure,” said Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge, STL’s executive director, at the opening. “The West Airfield program is separate from the Consolidated Terminal Plan. These upgrades are necessary regardless of future terminal decisions, and the Federal Aviation Administration supports them.”
Completion of the maintenance facility is scheduled for late 2027. Upon completion, the airport will transition to the second phase of the West Airfield program: the West Deicing Pad. Built on the site of the current maintenance complex, the new platform will allow aircraft to be de-iced closer to the runways, which the airport says will improve safety and efficiency while improving the ability to capture and manage de-icing fluids.
Passenger traffic at STL is projected to grow to 21 million annually by 2040. Beckmann says that despite the airport’s modern appearance to travelers, “behind the walls is a struggle. The utilities are as old as the rest of the terminal.”
