A topping out ceremony has been held to celebrate the progress of the Terminal Renovation and Expansion Project at Melbourne Orlando International Airport (MLB) in Florida.
The milestone provided the opportunity for airport, community and project stakeholders to sign a structural beam that will be placed in the ceiling structure of the airport’s new departure area.
Greg Donovan, executive director, Melbourne Orlando Airport, said, “The significant investments we are making today will serve our region and visitors worldwide for decades to come. We are thankful to our design and constructions teams for their dedicated efforts and skills to transform our terminal into a community asset with modern capabilities that will allow us to put our customers at ease with our coastal casual style.”
The US$72m terminal renovation and expansion project includes the addition of 86,000ft2 of new facilities, including a new security checkpoint; an expanded departure area with new gates, restaurants, retail options and furniture; an expanded international baggage claim; a new welcome center; and four sets of new restroom facilities.
In May 2020, the airport selected a team comprising Haskell, RS&H and Kinley for the design and construction of the project.
Peter Kinsley, president of infrastructure and transportation, Haskell, commented, “This project has reached an important construction milestone through unprecedented challenges. This is a testament to the outstanding teamwork and collaboration from all project stakeholders, working together to deliver this exciting project for the airport and the surrounding community. As an organization whose purpose is to create things that matter, we are grateful and proud to serve the Melbourne Orlando International Airport in this important work.”
Rodney Bishop Jr, senior vice president, RS&H, added, “RS&H truly appreciates the opportunity to lead the design team on this impactful project for MLB. Substantial planning and design were required to accommodate the significant increase of international passengers. Our design was focused on meeting an aggressive schedule to deliver a beautiful terminal the community will be proud of for years to come.”
The Terminal Project is preparing for MLB to become the new coastal gateway to Central Florida for travel group TUI in March 2022. The added facilities will accommodate the airport’s anticipated influx of 150,000 new international travelers in its first year of operation. Additionally, domestic air service continues to grow with Allegiant’s new flights to Pittsburgh, Nashville and Concord beginning this November.