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Gov. Andrew Cuomo was in town Wednesday to officially declare the $79.4 million renovations to the Greater Rochester International Airport complete.
Amid much fanfare under the new canopy that covers the upper and lower airport roadways, Cuomo drew attention to the fact that in order to get young professionals to stay in cities like Rochester, there must be excitement and a growing business climate. That starts with a modern transportation infrastructure and a 21st century airport.
“The airports are key, because the airports are now the front door to the entire region. You want businesses to come, you want people to come, you want tourism. People have to be able to get there. And they want it to be a pleasant experience,” Cuomo said. “You fly around the world, you see airports are now magnificent. They’re no longer a place where you drop off and pick up. They’re a place to do business, they’re a place to entertain, they’re a place to get a good meal.”
The airport renovations began in 2016 when 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.
The airport renovation includes a number of 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.
A smartphone lot was completed last year that allows drivers to wait nearby until their passengers arrive outside the terminal, and new signage and light fixtures dot the landscape leading to the airport terminal.
Greater Rochester International Airport is the first airport upstate to install facial recognition and “object left behind” technology as part of the ongoing efforts to enhance the safety and security of employees and passengers. Cameras will help federal, state and local law enforcement, TSA and airport security in accomplishing their mission to provide for the safety and security of the transportation system, officials said.
“As someone who grew up down the Thruway from Rochester, I know that the condition of an airport can either be a sorry reminder of better days gone (by), or a beautiful testament to a bright future,” Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul said. “By transforming the formerly outdated Rochester airport, this new, gleaming structure is now a spectacular welcome home for residents, and serves as a statement to visitors that the Finger Lakes region is truly moving forward.”
The airport is creating a new Passenger Information Network to reduce passenger anxiety. The network, called ROCview, is a free app that offers passenger the ability to view any of the 21 departure gates in real-time from anywhere in the terminal or on their mobile device, without having to be at the gate.
Airport accessibility was engineered by Rochester Institute of Technology’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf. The new digital information hub will aid passengers departing at either concourse and guide deaf or hard-of-hearing passengers using colored visual cues known as “hearing loops.”
In addition, the airport partnered with the Strong National Museum of Play to create two play areas for children inside the terminal building.
“We are proud to have worked with dozens of local contractors and hundreds of skilled workers to deliver a new, state-of-the-art airport for our community that creates a better travel experience for our residents and visitors alike,” said Monroe County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo, who served as the de facto leader of the renovation project since its inception. “From our streamlined security checkpoint to more concessions and dining options—and even interactive exhibits from the Strong Museum of Play—our new airport is ready to help attract more visitors, jobs and investment to Monroe County for years to come. I thank Gov. Cuomo and the State of New York for matching our local investment in this project and I am grateful to all of our public and private sector partners who helped get the job done.”
The airport, now in its 70th year of operation under the County of Monroe, supports nearly 10,000 jobs in the Finger Lakes region, officials said. The airport is served by seven major domestic carriers including Air Canada, Allegiant Air, American Airlines, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest and United Airlines, and handles roughly 115 flights per day. Some 2.4 million passengers use the Greater Rochester International Airport annually.
“As a major hub for travelers to and from our region, today’s completion of this important modernization project ensures that the Greater Rochester International Airport will be a state-of-the-art facility and will meet the needs of the modern-day traveler,” said Sen. Joseph Robach, R-Greece, chair of the Senate Committee on Transportation. “This investment by New York State reinforces our goal of working towards securing a 21st century transportation infrastructure and ensuring continued economic competitiveness for Monroe County. I believe that it is critically important to invest in safety improvements and the modernization of operations for airports across New York State.”
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