(January 25, 2004) -- LB Airport staff has released, and LBReport.com posts in the public interest, an overview of City Hall's contemplated expansion of the Airport's Permanent Terminal Area facilities (referred to as "Terminal Improvements" by city officials).

We post the seven page document by Airport Engineer Rachel Korkos verbatim in pdf form on a link below. It includes footprints (in yellow) of new permanent terminal area facilities. Building elevations (i.e. number of stories) are not indicated.

Noteworthy to us:

• The footprint of the proposed southern facility (concession area, security screening, holdroom and baggage claim) is larger than the footprint of the current Airport terminal building.

• The footprint of the new parking structure appears over twice as large as the current parking structure (which will remain). The document indicates that after constructing the new lot, parking on site will roughly equal current parking on site plus off site. City staff has publicly indicated it plans to handle current off site parking in the new on site lot... but we do not believe City Hall has tied approval of the new lot to a binding commitment to end off-site parking.

The document does not indicate if jetways (appendages linking planes to buildings) are contemplated.

The document is roughly 4.2 MB -- a large file that could take roughly 15-20 minutes to download if you use a 56k dial up modem. (It's faster via DSL).

To view the document, click Existing and proposed LB Airport facilities.

Additional coverage:

Jan. 2003: SCAG Exec. Dir. Warns If Regional Airport Plan (Expanding Palmdale & Ontario) Doesn't Fly, "Political Pressure" Will Mount On Others, Including LB, To Take More Flights