Laden with Biltmore-style windows, a full-service tapas bar, and three glass boarding bridges — at $700,000 apiece — the new Santa Barbara Airport terminal may experience a hard time compelling its travelers to actually leave.
Opening its doors in April 2011, the two-story, 72,000-square-foot terminal will house two Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf cafes, the Costa Terrazo Restaurant, and numerous works of art. The Spanish Colonial-style building, constructed by Emma Corporation with a budget of $54 million, is designed to meet the internationally recognized green building standards set by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.
Touring a group of media representatives through the metal structure on Wednesday, September 15, airport project manager Leif Reynolds addressed that the corporation has worked to preserve the charm of the original 1942 terminal.
“People say they don’t want it to lose its quaintness,” Reynolds said.
After the completion of the new terminal, the original terminal’s tower and core will be relocated to the new terminal’s southeast corner. The move is scheduled for completion in January 2012.
As airports are a representation of their community, said airport director Karen Ramsdell, the new terminal will host a public art program. Commissioned art includes a mosaic floor medallion, decorative wood beam stenciling, and lengths of ornamental wrought-iron kelp. Once opened, the terminal will also have an organized rotating art exhibit featuring regional artists.
Comments
Is this being done to get airlines to come back so we get better straight thru flights and connecting flights from the airline hubs? If not, this would be a waste of dollars that could be better spend elsewhere. I've lived here six years, and the cost of flying in and out of here has never been cheap, and anywhere i've ever wanted to go has either required a drive to LA, and now a connecter now in Phoenix to get to Las Vegas.
ConnieRowe (anonymous profile)
September 19, 2010 at 9:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)
“People say they don’t want it to lose its quaintness,” Reynolds said.
Do I detect a note of mocking smugness?
Connie, the airline service has been minimal for 30 years because students, farm hands and hotel bed makers don't do a lot of traveling.
Ramsdell gets paid $180,000 a year to collect rents from the few remaining businesses on the airport. Everyone else who works there works for a private employer. That's the real outrage. What's Ramsdell ever done to boost high paying aviation jobs there? Nothing. Net jobs has decreased the entire time she's been in control and we'll soon be paying her $144,000 a year to do literally nothing in retirement...
That's the real crime.
sa1 (anonymous profile)
September 19, 2010 at 10:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Interesting though is this developement is only $750 per sq ft. Half the price of the court house renovation so I guess we should count our blessings...
Wouldn't be great if we could just hop on a commuter express train to LAX. Same trains could be used to bring in all the commuters who claim we have to destroy the lifestyle in S.B. with high density housing so they don't have to drive so much. Boo Hoo.
sa1 (anonymous profile)
September 19, 2010 at 10:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Two Coffee Bean and Tea Leafs? It looks like the airport is jumping on the bandwagon to make Santa Barbara look like everyplace else on the planet with these ubiquitous and charmless chains. They've probably signed twenty-year leases by this point, but why did Ms. Ramsdell have to choose boring chain coffee shops when there are so many delightful local places (Jeannine's comes to mind) that would better represent Santa Barbara ? You have to start asking yourself exactly what it is that makes Santa Barbara unique any more. It evidently won't be the airport.
RivieraRunner (anonymous profile)
September 20, 2010 at 9:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I don't think the SBA airlines lack business. I no longer can get to Sacramento without traveling 5 hours via L.A. Every SBA direct flight to Sacramento, that I took, was completely filled.
It was once explained to me that airline flights made their money on how long they were flying straight, since take-off and landing use so much fuel. I don't know if that's true- or if airlines are just cutting back.
Archie (anonymous profile)
September 20, 2010 at 3:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Archie, whoever told you that was blowing smoke. Airlines make their money off seats sold. A sold out plane makes money no matter if it flies to LAX or London.
I agree with RivieraRunner. More sameness everywhere. Coffee Bean and Tea Leafs (and Burger King and Starbucks and on and on) can be found around the world. Now Santa Barbara will be another bland, nameless, faceless, airport. Sad.
SezMe (anonymous profile)
September 21, 2010 at 12:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Some other good pictures of the new terminal here:
http://www.santabarbaraview.com/index...
sallyc (anonymous profile)
September 21, 2010 at 11:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)