San Diego International Airport is moving ahead with planning for a previously deferred parking plaza structure adjacent to Terminal 2.
The board of the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority recently voted to direct staff to proceed with the project, which was originally approved in 2008 but deferred while other parts of the airport master plan, including the Terminal 2 Green Build, were completed.
Officials said the project’s cost is estimated $80 million to $88 million. While the original project was envisioned as a five-story structure with 5,000 parking spaces, the current project calls for three stories and 3,000 spaces.
The $900 million Green Build, completed last August, added 10 gates to Terminal 2 but did not include new parking spaces.
Officials said the plaza will enhance customer service, especially for business travelers who require convenient parking close to the terminal.
“Our need for more close-in parking is clear,” Airport Authority President and CEO Thella Bowens said in a statement. “Our single lowest customer satisfaction rating is for availability of parking.”
The plaza will have a public art component and “smart” parking technology that will enable parkers to reserve spaces and pay before leaving, reducing circulating and vehicle idling times.
Airport staff will next be preparing project designs and related documents, and obtaining a California coastal development permit. That will be followed by project construction bidding and awards, with completion of the plaza expected in roughly three years.
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