Westchester County Airport is getting a facelift — and it’s about time, said many residents who use the facility.
“Frankly, (the airport) is an embarrassment to Westchester County,” said Jan Endresen, a Rye resident and president of an aviation company. “It’s pathetic.”
“It definitely needs a remodel,” said David D’Amico, a business owner from Greenwich who was moving through the airport last week. “The waiting room is always crowded.”
“Sometimes there do seem to be a lot of flights back to back,” said Sara Woods, a Hartsdale resident and head of a public relations firm. “ The security line is all the way by baggage claim.”
Modernization of the waiting area and the security operation is the main focus of the renovation plan announced by County Executive Ken Jenkins, who said HNTB, an engineering firm that is currently overseeing the redevelopment program at John F. Kennedy International Airport, was tapped to lead the initiative. HNTB, which also has worked on projects at the Garden City Regional Airport and Denver International Airport, was selected out of 11 firms that were considered.
“It’s not about luxury, it’s about functionality,” Jenkins said at a press conference. Jenkins said lack of seating, restroom access, electrical outlets, and adequate food and dining options would be addressed with the renovation. “We have to be honest, the terminal just hasn’t been able to keep up to things and hasn’t been modernized.”
“I also agree about having more charging stations,” said Lisa Solomon, a lawyer from Ardsley. “It’s an old airport and they put in a few, but there’s never enough.”
The terminal was built over 30 years ago.
HNTB has begun work on the planning phase of the project and will present three redesign options this fall, Westchester County Communications Director Catherine Cioffi told The Record. No price tag for the project has been announced.
“The Airport’s operating budget is collected from all users (tenants and vendors) and that will cover the planning study,” Cioffi said.
Photos Alison Rodilosso
Preliminary guidelines outlined by the county suggest that other areas of the airport, including rental car lots, may be changed, but the terminal’s 96,000-square-foot footprint will not be. The number of flights in and out of the airport also will not change.
While they may find the waiting area lacking, many passengers heralded the convenience of a local airport. Some, like Mindy LoCicero, a retired schoolteacher who lives in Yonkers, said she likes that it is easy to navigate and doesn’t have the bustling feel of a JFK or LaGuardia.
“It’s a small airport, it pretty much does its job,” she said. “I fear when they fix it up, it’s going to lose its charm.”
When the redesign kicks into high gear this fall, it’s likely to improve many glaring problems — but the changes may not satisfy everyone.
“We need to make sure we have some kind of infrastructure that attracts businesses to come to Westchester County,” Endresen said, disheartened with how little he feels the remodel will benefit the surrounding area. “There should be a hotel at the airport, there is none.”
For others, the thought of a remodel, no matter the scale, never crossed their mind in the first place. “I’m a guy that will sit on the floor if there isn’t a seat,” said Mark Garrison, a hairdresser from New York City. “I don’t need bougie.”
