The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey today announced that LaGuardia Airport’s new Terminal B has won the National Academy of Construction’s inaugural Recognition of Special Achievement Award, which celebrates the creativity, innovation, and vision behind the construction of a world-class airport terminal.
“The National Academy of Construction’s Recognition of Special Achievement Award represents what can happen when we think big and build our infrastructure with an overall vision and a master plan. Six years ago, when we broke ground on a new LaGuardia Airport, few believed that LaGuardia would be reborn as world-class. But here we are, accepting another major award for a world-class terminal in a world-class airport. We have truly gone from worst to best with a whole New LaGuardia Airport,” said Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton.
“This inaugural award from the National Academy of Construction celebrates the creativity and the innovation embodied in the new Terminal B, from the pioneering construction strategies used to build it to the extraordinary community benefit derived from the development of this new world-class terminal. Across our region, at Newark Liberty and at JFK, we are holding all our airport redevelopment projects to the same high standards,” said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole.
“The redevelopment of the LaGuardia Terminal B is truly remarkable. Its impact will last for generations. As the initial recipient of this award, the Terminal B project and all involved are to be applauded for the overwhelming efforts in making both aviation and construction history,” said National Academy of Construction President and CEO Wayne Crew.
The development of Terminal B is a public-private partnership between the Port Authority and LaGuardia Gateway Partners, which is composed of Vantage Airport Group, Skanska Meridiam, and JLC Infrastructure. The completion of Terminal B in January and the opening of Delta’s new Terminal C in June represent the substantial completion of a whole new LaGuardia Airport just six years after breaking ground. Terminal B includes a four-story, light-filled arrivals and departures hall with floor-to-ceiling windows, iconic public art, state-of-the-art technology, and world-class amenities. It is the nation’s only airport terminal with dual sky bridges, which link the arrivals and departures hall with two island concourses.
The National Academy of Construction introduced its Recognition of Special Achievement Award this year to highlight the creativity, innovation, and accomplishments of the engineering, design, and construction industries. In announcing the award, academy officials cited several achievements during and after construction of the $4 billion terminal: The ability to maintain full flight operations throughout construction; sustainability practices both during construction and in the ongoing operation of the terminal, including LEED Gold certification; historic community benefits, including more than $2 billion in contracts to minority- and women-owned business enterprises and $850 million in contracts to local Queens-based businesses; and hundreds of permanent jobs for local residents.
In December, UNESCO announced that Terminal B was selected by a blue-ribbon panel of architects, designers and artists for the prestigious Prix Versailles as the best new airport in the world for 2021. The Prix Versailles and the National Academy of Construction’s Special Recognition Award confirm that the transformation of LaGuardia Airport has resulted in a state-of-the-art, world-class airport fit for the region.
The Recognition of Special Achievement Award was announced on July 1. A formal presentation is set for the Academy’s annual meeting on Oct. 7 in Scottsdale, Ariz. Founded in 1999, the National Academy of Construction is an organization of industry leaders who have made outstanding, life-long contributions to the design, construction, and engineering industries.
