Dramatic Implosion Of Airport Parking Garage Kicks Off Expansion

TAMPA, FL -- At 2 a.m. Tuesday, a dramatic implosion rocked Tampa International Airport as the Red Side Rental Car Garage was demolished to begin the second phase of the airport's major expansion to serve 34 million passengers annually.

It took 16,000 pounds of dynamite to turn the parking garage into rubble. Now the hard job begins, said Executive Vice President of Facilities Al Illustrato. In some places, the debris is 35 feet deep and will take weeks to clear away.

The demolition was in the works for months but the implosion itself lasted only seconds. To ensure the safe implosion of the garage, Tampa International closed the airport to all guests, tenants and employees between 1 a.m. and 2:30 a.m. All inbound traffic was prohibited as well.

The demolition of the old rental car garage is a key part of Phase 2 to make room for four more express curbside lanes on the upper and lower levels designed for passengers with no checked bags, as well as a new guideway to the airport's new terminal Airside D, which will house 16 domestic and international gates.

To the south, the SkyCenter atrium is going vertical with new steel columns and beams. The Main Terminal’s express curbsides are underway. To the north, excavation has begun for the future Taxiway A Bridge.

Tampa International Airport officials kicked off the second phase of its ambitious $2 billion expansion July 9.

The 35-acre site located near the Rental Car Center will be home to a new nine-story, 271,500-square-foot office building with a parking garage, conference center and cafe, connected to a new car rental center and year-old SkyConnect train to the terminal.

Airport officials plan to move their offices from the main terminal to the new building. The airport plans to occupy three floors of the building and rent out the additional space to other companies.

Other additions include two hotels, shops and gas stations.

Last year, Tampa International Airport had a record number of 21 million passengers.

"This phase of the master plan is all about innovation and preparing for the future,” said Airport CEO Joe Lopano. “We are seeing what is coming at us, and we’re being proactive in preparing for the future.”

Curbsides nationwide have become more congested as air travel continues to increase along with the popularity of ridesharing.

Rendering of the interior view of the departure level.

Tampa International Airport is taking the issue head-on with innovative new express curbsides that will make the airport more efficient by allowing guests to bypass the ticketing level or baggage claim areas via a new vertical circulation building. The 16 new lanes include eight on the blue side and eight on the red side.

Departing guests will take an escalator or elevator straight to the transfer level, then hop on a shuttle to the airsides. Those without a boarding pass will be able to print one out along the way at conveniently located kiosks. Arriving travelers will be able to quickly access ground transportation without interacting with baggage claim activity.

The blue side curbsides are scheduled to be done in 2022. The red side curbs, which will begin once the airport’s current administration building is demolished, are scheduled for completion in 2024.

Another view of the new departure level.

“This new curbside project is part of an expansion plan that will allow this airport to serve 34 million passengers every year – and that matters,” said Hillsborough County Aviation Authority chairman Robert Watkins. “As this community – and state – continues to prosper and grow, this airport must also continue to grow to serve it.”

Contractor Hensel Phelps will build the new curbsides while HNTB is responsible for the design. Both firms noted how unique the project is.

“Tampa International Airport is being recognized internationally for its thought leadership and innovation associated with the curbsides,” said HNTB Senior Vice President Len Becker. “These will further enhance the customer experience while improving operations and preparing for a new airside.

“We’re going to take this structure that exists today and turn it into one of the most innovative curbsides in the United States,” said Kirk Hazen, VP and district manager for Hensel Phelps.

The airport’s Phase 2 Master Plan projects also includes a state-of-the-art Central Utility Plant that will help the airport run more efficiently and sustainably, a concessions loading dock and the demolition of the airport’s old administration building. Also part of Phase 2 is the SkyCenter development area.

The area will also feature a connection to Tampa Bay’s regional trail system

“Running a world-class airport while making world-class improvements is no easy feat and it takes total buy-in throughout the organization,” said he Illustrato. “From Day 1, our team has lived and breathed the mantra ‘We are an airport first’ and that passenger experience is paramount.”

Renderings of the interior arrival side level.