New York's LaGuardia airport will get a $4 billion overhaul
New York's LaGuardia Airport, which Joe Biden once infamously compared to a third world country, is consistently ranked among the worst airports in the country. New Yorkers are hoping that will soon change.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey approved a $4 billion redevelopment project for LaGuardia airport on Thursday.
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"Our plan will fundamentally transform LaGuardia – replacing what is now an outdated and poorly designed complex with the world-class airport New York has always deserved," Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a statement. "This represents a major milestone for the project – the first of many – and I look forward to seeing construction begin later this year.”
The plan was originally introduced by Cuomo and Biden in July, when they drew attention to many travelers' frustrations with the airport.
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After much deliberation -- most of which centered around the fear of the price tag ballooning -- Port Authority officials unanimously approved the $4 billion "modernization." However, the Wall Street Journal reported that the price tag for the revamp is more likely to be around $5.3 billion.
The LaGuardia project is, basically, a plan to tear down Terminal B and start again from scratch. The new central terminal will connect to the other two, eliminating the airport's "disconnected terminals" problem.
The entire airport will also shift about 600 feet to make more room for taxis and new parking.
And for those traveling to the airport by mass transit, there will be an AirTrain connection to the 7 train at Mets-Willets Point.
Two-thirds of the project will be funded by the LaGuardia Gateway Partners -- a private party who will build, operate and maintain the revamped airport.
Construction is set to begin later this year and to be completed by 2021, with some sections open by 2019.
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Cailey studied journalism at SUNY Purchase and french cinema & literature at Paris IV Sorbonne. She is a cynical optimist and Talking Heads karaoke enthusiast. Drop her a line @misscaileyanne
