LAX Bradley Terminal to get $1.13 billion upgrade

LA’s Board of Airport Commissioners approved $1.13 billion in construction contracts Monday for the revitalization of the Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX. Construction contractor Walsh Austin Joint Venture will handle the Bradley West project, which will be the largest public works project in the city’s history. The terminal, which already suffers from overcrowding and chronic delays, hasn’t seen any major improvements since the 1984 Olympic games. Included in the 1 million sf project are added space for ticket counters, security checkpoints, passenger lounges, immigration facilities, and restaurants and retail stores, as well as a capacity expansion of existing gates to accomodate new wide-body aircraft, like Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner and Airbus’ A380, capable of carrying 800 passengers.

LAX--and the Bradley Terminal in particular--lags far behind its international peers in capacity
and modernization. The terminal is drab, inefficient, and cramped. Compounding these issues
are the temporary security measures implemented after 9/11, which have yet to be made into
permanent, functional features. But this ambitious project comes at a rather conspicuous time
- the airline industry is suffering its worst downturn in history. Other airports are putting expansion projects on hold, while airlines are cancelling orders for new aircraft. In 2011 passenger volume at LAX will sink to 51 million from its 2000 peak of 68 million. This year, LAX has dropped from the world’s 6th busiest airport to its 8th.

But officials defend that Bradley West is part of a long term vision, and will help equip LAX
for a predicted 2014 recovery in air travel. LAX, which has a good credit history and lower debt
than similar-sized airports, will finance the project with revenue bonds. But first it will have
to increase revenue from concessions and parking, ask Congress to raise the $4.50 passenger
facilities charge, and raise fees and rents for the airlines, which are too low at $11 per passenger.
Whether cautious passengers will go for a fee increase and whether hurting airlines can stomach
a fee increase is yet to be seen.

The project aims for a 2013 completion and will create around 4,000 construction jobs.

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Harbor Commission OKs Massive San Pedro Rehab

The Los Angeles Harbor Commission unanimously approved the much-anticipated $1.2 billion San Pedro waterfront revitalization plan on Wednesday. The aim of the project is to improve the long-neglected port district with a 300,000 sf tourist destination of shops and entertainment. If begun in a timely manner, construction on the plan would last a full decade, and would feature an 8.7 mile promenade, new parks, mini harbors, a new cruise ship terminal, and a conference center.

The following day, the US House of Representatives approved a $90,000 budget for the Army Corps of Engineers to study the feasibility of dismantling a portion of the Long Beach breakwater to restore the natural current and improve the quality of beaches located within the wall. According to a private consulting firm, a shortening of the breakwater would indirectly create $7 million in annual sales tax revenues for the city. The Environmental Protection Agency also granted the city $26 million in stimulus funds to help reduce diesel emissions at the nation's largest port.

Long before the construction of local entertainment giants like Universal Studios and Disneyland, the San Pedro waterfront was a major regional tourist attraction. But little of that historic charm remains, as the area has become entirely dependent on international cargo shipping, seeing roughly 7.3 million containers pass through its gates every year. The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach handle the majority of the cargo trade between East Asia and the US. As a result of this enormous volume, the harbor district is also the most heavily polluted area in Southern California, choked with diesel fumes from trucks and water pollution from ships.

While they are not explicitly referenced, the Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39 attractions in San Francisco seem to be models for the port. In the 1960s when San Francisco lost the majority of its port capacity to nearby Oakland, the city reconfigured its waterfront assets as tourist attractions. While the Harbor Commission and frustrated locals are eager for a revitalized port district, the Port of Los Angeles is still in its heyday. And next door Port of Long Beach can hardly afford to pick up any slack. But another major goal for the grand plan is to create a more desirable port of call for cruise ship operators, who have been fleeing in droves for San Diego. San Pedro's waterfront is a long way from emulating the pleasant waterfront conditions in San Francisco or San Diego, but pollution reduction should be a higher priority than enticement of tourists.