Airport renovation wins APWA award

The $79 million, two-year transformation of the Greater Rochester International Airport garnered a great deal of attention both during construction and following its completion last fall. This week the renovation earned the Project of the Year Award from the Genesee Valley Branch of the American Public Works Association.

Monroe County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo, airport officials and project partners accepted the award at the APWA Genesee Valley Branch’s annual awards banquet Thursday.

“This renovation transformed the airport into a next generation travel hub, enhancing our efforts to attract more jobs and investment to our community,” Dinolfo said in a statement. “I’m proud to have worked with our construction partners and trade unions to complete this project on-time and on-target.”

The airport renovations began in 2016 when Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that Rochester had won the full $40 million it applied for as part of the Upstate Airport Economic Development and Revitalization Competition. The original plan called for $63 million in funding, with $23 million coming from airport and county sources.

In the end, $25 million came from non-taxpayer funding from the Monroe County Airport Authority and $14 million came from the county. Another $400,000 was received in federal funding.

Monroe County and airport officials worked with engineering firms Passero Associates P.C. and CHA Consulting Inc., construction manager LeChase Construction Services LLC and more than 60 subcontractors and local trade unions, officials said.

The airport renovation included several upgrades. Many of the designs incorporate accessibility features, with a particular focus on the deaf and hearing-impaired community. Lighting and color play a role in the airport’s new design, with wayfinding that helps the flow of foot traffic and eases congestion and movement throughout the concourse.

The transformation included a wide-scale redesign of the airport’s terminal building to feature new shopping and dining options for travelers, including a “Taste of Rochester” restaurant and improved security measures.

A state-of-the-art canopy was designed to protect the roadway outside the terminal from snow and ice during the winter and provide protection for people waiting curbside. It features sustainable solar panels that can provide energy, a full, 40,000-gallon rainwater collection system for irrigation and landscaping during the summer, 24-hour security and LED lighting at night.

The award is given in recognition of “excellent collaboration by all participating organizations and the successful completion of a project.”

“This award is a testament to incredible efforts of so many professionals who helped build our new airport,” Dinolfo said.

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