- Tallahassee International Airport leaders asked city leaders for additional funding for the Terminal Rehabilitation Phase III.
- New additions include flooring, new ceilings, and electrical seating outlets.
- Watch the video above to see the reaction from passengers and airport leaders.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT"
"I take 300+ flights a year. I live out of hotels more than do with my home."
Grant Ragans travels through airports a lot. He tells me about his first time coming into Tallahassee International Airport: "It's very easy to walk through. You're not waiting behind big lines."
Ragans tells me his experience was convenient. It's an experience TLH leaders want every traveler to feel, which is why they are bringing a more modernized look to the passenger terminal.
The passenger terminal at Tallahassee International Airport is over 30 years old. The project is called Passenger Terminal Phase 3 and was approved in 2021. It includes new ceilings, flooring, and other amenities to meet the needs of passengers, but the costs have really taken off.
"We're going to deliver a great experience and that's what we're focused on.
Director of Aviation at TLH, David Pollard, tells me why the project is needed in the first place. "This project terminal modernization is part of our efforts to continue to keep pace with the demands of our travelers."
Keeping up with the demand requires a lot of work to be done. That's why TLH leaders asked city leaders for an additional funding at the board of commissioners meeting on Wednesday.
The original budget for the project was about $5.2 million dollars, but due to unforeseen issues it's driving up cost. The project cost has increased to more than $7 million dollars.
"It's a lot of people working in the background collectively as we work on the funding plan, the design plan, and all these various aspects that get us to actual construction."
Pollard says the project is 80 percent done and tells me that there's support from city leaders to finish the work in 2024.
"We've certainly received great support from the city leadership, our city commissioners. I thank them every day because we can't do it alone."
As for Ragans, the process of renovations sounds nice but the one thing he suggests, "oh, you need a place to watch some games in here."
