The bidding process begins Wednesday to determine who gets the job of renovating the terminal at Syracuse’s Hancock International Airport.
The $45 million project, announced in January, is moving ahead at a quick pace.
Work started on the first phase of the project a month ago, with demolition of the curbside, concrete canopy at the entrance to the airport. Gov. Andrew Cuomo joined officials for an official groundbreaking Tuesday, and promised the rest of the work on the terminal will be done in a timely manner.
“Within a year from today, there’s going to be a new Airport here,” said Cuomo.
Revitalizing Hancock is part of an economic development strategy for all of upstate, says Cuomo, and he says it’s not the only airport getting help from the state.
“We’re doing a new airport at Rochester, Elmira, Plattsburgh. So we are literally going to open up the entire region,” he said.
The terminal was built more than 50 years ago, and is showing its age. Christina Callahan, executive director of the Syracuse Regional Airport Authority, says this will be a top to bottom change for travelers.
“Glass curtain wall, new canopy, new flooring, new lighting, just making this the first class facility it needs to be,” said Callahan.
Cuomo said this renovation goes hand in hand with other economic development projects in central New York.
“We now need a modern airport as the gateway to Central New York as a lure to the businesses of tomorrow,” he said.
The state is providing the bulk of the funding for the project, nearly $36 million. Onondaga County, the airport authority and the federal government will kick in the rest.
