The new South 1 (S1) concourse at Terminal 4 of the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, Arizona, US, will be opened in Summer 2022.
The concourse is being built with an estimated investment of $310m. Major parts of the project include the construction of the S1 concourse itself, a connector to the South 2 (S2) concourse and a new connector bridge linking the north and south ends of the terminal.
Recommended White Papers
The S1 concourse will be the eighth and final concourse in Terminal 4. Spanning 130,000ft² (12,077m²), it is being developed as a three-level concourse, with basement, apron and passenger levels.
Phoenix City Council approved the plan to build the new concourse in October 2016. The project’s construction began in September 2020. The eight new gates at the concourse will be occupied by Southwest Airlines, which already operates from three other concourses at the terminal.
Phoenix Sky Harbor airport handled 46.28 million passengers in 2019, which declined by 52.63% to 21.92 million in 2020 due to travel restrictions imposed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Passenger traffic increased again to 38.84 million in 2021, a rise of 77.18% when compared to 2020.
S1 concourse design and features
The S1 concourse will be located on the south apron, west of the S2 concourse. It will offer views of the South Mountain and surrounding areas. It will accommodate Airplane Design Group (ADG) Group III and Group V aircraft.
Taxi lanes are being added on both sides of the concourse to enable the safe ingress and egress of aircraft, while parallel taxi lanes are being created on the east side between concourses S1 and S2.
The concourse will add more local dining options and shops at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
The new concourse will include improved passenger screening operations, support facilities, ticketing areas, airside concession space, baggage handling systems and a baggage claims area. An east/west transfer bridge deck will connect the new concourse to the existing terminal.
The new apron is expected to help the airport to meet passenger traffic demands. It will increase the airport’s annual passenger handling capacity by approximately three million.
Construction
The project’s construction works include the removal of old existing paved sections, asphalt service roads and transitions, as well as abandoned tank and utilities. Foundation components of an old building from a hangar that was demolished several years ago will also be removed.
The new apron area will comprise Portland cement concrete pavement (PCCP). Works also include surface demolition and site grading before the commencement of the paving process.
Furthermore, the project involved lighting, signage, markings/stripping, drainage and relocation of utilities.
Amenities within the concourse
The S1 concourse will feature a 3,500ft² (325m²) common use lounge called The Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club. Developed by AD Partnership, it will feature a specially curated menu.
Restaurants and shops within the new concourse are expected to be opened in phases between 2022 and 2023.
Amenities within the concourse will include charging stations, an animal relief area and a nursing room.
Retail and dining options
A joint venture (JV) between Marshall Retail Group, CASA Unlimited, Changing Hands Bookstore and Melrose Pharmacy is responsible for the retail development at the concourse.
Brands and vendors in the retail space will include Ray-Ban, Maui Jim, Changing Hands bookstore, L’Occitane and L’Oreal, Melrose Pharmacy, Made Art Boutique, Oakley, Herschel, and InMotion.
Some of the dining options at the concourse will be Pedal Haus Brewery, Berry Divine – Acai Bowls, Bobby’s Burgers, Chick-Fil-A and Eegee’s.
The Sip Coffee and Beer outlet will feature menus from local companies, including Native Ground Coffee, Mother Road Brewing Company, CULT Artisan Beverage Company, Tres Leches Café, Half Moon Empanadas, San Tan Brewery, Wild Tonic Kombucha, Cactus Licker Coffee, Wild Tonic, Real American Hero Coffee Company and Salud Eats.
Contractors involved
US-based architecture and planning firm SmithGroup was selected for the design of the new concourse.
McCarthy Building Companies was selected as the general contractor for the project construction.
Multi-discipline engineering firm Dibble received a contract to conduct a topographical survey across the apron area.
Airbiz multi-national aviation consultant was engaged to provide planning services for the project. The contractual scope included sizing, planning and validating the ability of Terminal 4 processors to accommodate additional capacity.
US-based Intellient, a technology solutions provider for the aviation industry, received a contract to manage the budget, design, systems implementation, testing and commissioning of the technology systems.
Magnusson Klemencic Associates (MKA), a structural engineering services consultant, worked alongside Smith Group and Corgan to enhance the design of the S1 concourse.
Mechanical and plumbing systems engineering firm Karber Corporation (K Corp) provided heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) products and services, including custom air handlers, exhaust fans, variable air volume (VAV) boxes, air distribution and related ductwork systems.
Information technology (IT) consulting firm Inspired Networks designed the communication system, airport operation system and passenger processing system for the project.
J Banicki Construction, a subsidiary of Sterling Construction Company, secured a contract for the construction of the apron along with other paving and additional apron related infrastructure as part of the Terminal 4 S1 concourse project at Phoenix Sky Harbor airport.
