Construction on the new terminal began July 2016. Central Terminal B replaces the previous terminal, which was built in 1964 to accommodate eight million passengers a year, and at a time when security needs and passenger amenities were not what they are today.
The new terminal uses bridges from the Arrivals and Departures Hall (also known as a headhouse) over to bright, open concourses that give passengers a bird’s-eye view of the airside operation and the concourses.
The first concourse – Concourse B – opened to the public in December 2018. The headhouse opened to the public in June 2020. In August 2020, the first seven new gates in the new Western Concourse were opened.
The new facility has the capacity to handle 17 million passengers a year, with modern baggage, check-in, and a huge retail hall that offers best-in-class retail, vast dining experiences, stunning art and amenities, and a water feature that is unique to any airport in the world. It is the first airline terminal in North America to achieve the highest global five-star airport terminal rating from Skytrax, the international airport rating firm.
WSP, in joint venture with HOK, served as the engineer of record through the completion of construction.