Bigger, Better $2.7 Billion Terminal At Newark Airport Unveiled: VIDEO

NEWARK, NJ — The “largest design-build project in New Jersey history” has reached the finish line at Newark Liberty International Airport.

On Tuesday, a large crowd of officials and community members gathered at the brand-new Terminal A for a ribbon-cutting ceremony that’s been four years in the making. Watch a video of Tuesday’s news conference below.

There are four main parts to the $2.7 billion renovation, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the bi-state agency that is in charge of the airport:

• A new, 1 million-square-foot terminal building with 33 gates (20 percent larger than the previous terminal)
• Redesigned roadways with eight new bridges
• 140 acres of airfield paving
• A 2,700-space public parking facility with consolidated rent-a-car operations

The new terminal is expected to be operational on Dec. 8, a Port Authority spokesperson told Patch.

Gov. Phil Murphy said the project is “unprecedented” in its magnitude and potential impact.

“Today’s unveiling of Terminal A marks the culmination of the largest infrastructure project I have had the honor of overseeing during my administration, as well as the realization of our vision for a state founded upon sound infrastructure and fueled by economic opportunity,” Murphy said.

Terminal A is expected to generate more than $4.6 billion in regional economic activity, create more than 2,500 jobs and provide more than $1.9 billion in wages, according to the governor's office.

Munich Airport International GmbH was granted a 15-year deal to operate and maintain the new terminal in 2018. As of June 2022, the Terminal A program had awarded 94 sub-contracts to minority and women-owned business enterprises (MWBE) totaling more than $1 billion and 92 sub-contracts to New Jersey firms for $213 million.

• See related article: How To Get Jobs, Contracts For $2.7B Project At Newark Airport

Before the coronavirus pandemic, Newark Airport ranked as the nation’s 12th busiest airport in total passengers, with 33 airlines serving more than 47.5 million customers in 2019 offering non-stop service to more than 160 destinations globally.

The new terminal will have a "modernized" check-in area and security and baggage claim areas that can "efficiently handle" an estimated 13.6 million passengers a year.

The Port Authority’s annual budget of $8 billion includes no tax revenue from either the states of New York or New Jersey or from the City of New York. The agency raises the necessary funds for the improvement, construction or acquisition of its facilities primarily on its own credit, officials said.

• See related article: Port Authority’s Budget Shows Signs Of COVID Recovery, Officials Say

The airport has become notorious for delays and cancellations in recent years, regularly landing on “worst airport” lists. It will remain to be seen how the new terminal impacts those delays. But according to officials, it is designed as a “common use” facility. As a result, all gates in the new terminal will be used by multiple airlines, which administrators say will “increase flexibility and efficiency” and turbocharge operations.

• See related article: Don't Let Delays Return To NJ Airport After COVID, Congressman Says

What’s next for the airport? According to the Port Authority, that will be a question tackled by the Arup, one of the world’s top aviation planning and design firms, will oversee a vision plan for future development of Newark Airport in partnership with leading architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. Read More: 'Master Planners' Will Help Design Future Of Newark Airport

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NEW TERMINAL: FOOD, ART

Earlier this year, Port Authority officials announced the names of some of the businesses that will occupy the renovated Terminal A. They include Starbucks, Shake Shack, Bluestone Lane and Hugo Boss – all of whom have signed agreements to operate in the new terminal.

The lineup also includes several notable New Jersey-based brands, such as Jersey Mike’s, Smokehouse BBQ, Office Tavern & Grill, New Jersey Monthly, Playa Bowls and W.B. Law Coffee.

The Port Authority also has invested $3 million to build out retail space within the new Terminal A to accommodate the inclusion of local businesses from the cities of Elizabeth and Newark. Located in the terminal’s main hall, these locally owned and operated stores – The Black Home, Tonnie's Minis, Artist Pop Shop, GWER Gelato, and Bold Newark Black Owned Local Designs – will offer souvenirs, artwork, baked goods and other treats for weary travelers.

• See related article: Newark Airport Will See Huge Lineup Of New Restaurants, Businesses

The new terminal will also showcase the work of 29 local artists, a distinctive way of letting travelers know they’ve arrived in the Garden State.

Anchoring the new Terminal A’s comprehensive art program are two ambitious permanent public art installations created by artists Layqa Nuna Yawar and Karyn Olivier. Spanning the public spaces of the new arrivals and departures halls, the new site-specific installations pay homage to the “vitality, unique history, architecture, people and character of New Jersey,” officials said.

Complementing the two large permanent installations are 27 works by local artists — eight of whom are from Newark and Elizabeth. Their artwork will be displayed in the digital welcome banner spanning the departures area, along with artists and photographers whose work will be rotating throughout the terminal.

An additional permanent installation by Talley Fisher of Bellefonte, Pennsylvania is located at the pedestrian bridge connecting the new Terminal A with the new garage and rental car parking facility. Inspired by the ocean adjacent to New Jersey, Fisher’s art installation is a series of sculptures comprised of abstract water elements floating over the heads of those traversing the pedestrian bridge.

The Port Authority and Munich also contracted with Moment Factory — a multimedia studio specializing in video, lighting, architecture, sound, and special effects for immersive environments — on digital installations throughout the terminal.

“Since project inception, we have been committed to the inclusion of the local community into this project,” Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole said. “Installing regional art by local artists is a way that we can promote local connections to New Jersey and this new terminal while highlighting the rich diversity of this great state.”

• See related article: Hiring Ramps Up At Newark Airport Ahead Of $2.7B Project

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