Ground Boarding Facility Offers Rapid Expansion at Sarasota Bradenton Int’l

Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) has experienced rapid growth in recent years, prompting a critical need for expansion. In response, the Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority initiated development of the Concourse A ground boarding facility to meet increasing passenger demand. The $120 million, five-gate expansion, which officially opened in mid-January, is part of approximately $220 million in strategic projects over the past two years. The new 75,300-square-foot facility links to SRQ’s existing ticketing lobby and features its own four-lane security checkpoint, concessions, additional amenities and a double-height connector hall for future terminal expansion.

Since 2018, SRQ has seen a 209% increase in passenger volume, growing from six airlines serving 12 nonstop destinations to 11 airlines serving 68 nonstop routes. The airport’s existing 13-gate concourse was originally designed for approximately 3 million passengers, but by 2023, it was handling more than 4.3 million travelers annually. The growth in demand made expansion a necessity. “Time was our enemy,” recalls Rick Piccolo, president and chief executive officer of the Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority. “We were growing so fast…We needed to get things built quickly.”

A traditional elevated concourse would have taken longer and cost approximately $50 million more to build. Instead, the ground boarding facility, attached to the end of the existing terminal, allowed for rapid construction, saving an estimated year of development time while still delivering a high-quality, long-term solution, Piccolo explains.

To bring the project to life, the Airport Authority selected long-time partner Gresham Smith as prime design consultant and DeAngelis Diamond/Magnum Builders to manage construction. Arora Engineers provided special systems integration and improvements for the new Concourse A and existing Concourse B.

The original concept for the ground boarding facility was a temporary $30 million structure that would have to be replaced. But as planning progressed, project leadership realized the need for a more comprehensive, future-proof facility. “As the design started evolving, we realized that probably wasn’t going to put us in a good position for the future,” recalls Kent Bontrager, vice president of Engineering for the Airport Authority. The design team shifted from a temporary structure to one that met SRQ’s capacity needs and could also expand to accommodate future growth.

Although the new Concourse A currently functions as a standalone terminal, SRQ can eventually link it with Concourse B via an elevated connection that runs behind the existing ticketing lobby and into the double-height connector hall. This provision was developed to provide seamless connectivity between ticketing and a consolidated central security checkpoint when passenger demand increases further. While there is no timeline set for this next phase, Piccolo says SRQ will continue to assess the need based on growth.

Design Considerations

When developing a concept for the new facility, the design team focused on the airport’s pride in making the existing terminal a welcoming environment with an emphasis on customer service and convenience. Matt Wilson, senior architect/project manager with Gresham Smith, explains that designers worked to create a similar warm, sophisticated feeling in the architecture and interiors of Concourse A, along with SRQ’s trademark branding and logo color. “That was something we were very intentional about,” Wilson remarks, adding that the Airport Authority stressed the importance of travelers knowing that they’re in Sarasota.

Located just off the ticketing lobby, Concourse A has its own security checkpoint with new equipment. Rubber flooring was specified to provide greater comfort for TSA employees who stand for long periods, compared to the terrazzo used in circulation areas. The flexible flooring also allows for easy modifications if/when TSA equipment changes. Designers avoided high-cost materials because the airport may eventually switch to a consolidated checkpoint elsewhere.

Passengers exit the security checkpoint into a connector hall with ample daylight, thanks to 30-foot-high walls of windows on the north and east sides as well as light monitors incorporated into the roof. Architects ensured clear sightlines to gates, restrooms, concessions and airfield views. The open design allows travelers to quickly assess their surroundings, determine wait times, find seating and plan their next steps. “Everything is immediately apparent,” explains Jessica Smith, interior design principal with Gresham Smith. “Information is given to the passenger as soon as they come through that checkpoint.”

Bontrager predicts that departing travelers will especially appreciate the apron and airfield views. “They’ll be able to eat at the concessions while watching aircraft pulling in and out,” he says.

Arriving passengers can easily see through the connector hall to the exit lane, with updated wayfinding graphics and signage guiding them to Baggage Claim and rental car counters. Gresham Smith helped create places in the lobby area for volunteer ambassadors, who provide additional directions for those needing more assistance.

The green from SRQ’s logo is leveraged to highlight restrooms and gate numbers, while the patterns in the terrazzo flooring mimic the movement of the ocean waves and passengers to key destinations throughout the building. “We don’t expect the average passenger to notice those subtle things, but those little details are important to us,” says Smith. “If we do our job well, they’re just really intuitive.”

Seating was a key consideration during the design process. Previously, the airport used only tandem seating; now, there is a variety to accommodate different passenger needs. The new concourse includes ADA-compliant seating and options at different heights to support passengers who are pregnant, have back pain or other reduced mobility. Charging ports are integrated into seating from Vitra throughout the concourse as an added passenger amenity.

Project Approval and Planning

When Piccolo briefed the Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority board about what the project team wanted to do, the first slide of his presentation simply had the words: “Time is our enemy.” The board supported the plan as presented, and agreed with the logic of creating something more substantial than a temporary structure that would eventually need to be removed. Piccolo and the team then explored ways to integrate the new concourse and ensure that its design matched the standards of the existing terminal.

The board approved the Concourse A project in January 2022, and 19 months later, it was complete. The rapid timeline was necessary to keep pace with SRQ’s dramatic increase in passenger traffic.

Given the project’s tight schedule, SRQ used a construction manager-at-risk model to allow bidding and construction to begin before the design was finished. The approach allowed early procurement of long-lead items like electrical gear, HVAC systems and boarding ramps, to help prevent major delays.

Passenger Amenities

The expansion adds five new gates—bringing SRQ to 18 total. In addition to enhanced seating, the new facility includes a nursing room for mothers, relief areas for service animals and family/companion restrooms with adult changing tables. “Starting from scratch, we were able to incorporate those into the design so they are seamless, and it’s very nice,” remarks Mark Stuckey, executive vice president and chief of staff for the Airport Authority.

Concourse A also features an upgraded selection of food and beverage concessions, including regional favorites like Anna Maria Oyster Bar and Patrick’s 1481 as well as Peet’s Coffee/Sarasota to Go. “For the first time, we have a lot of local restaurants that are participating,” Piccolo comments.

“So that’s another benefit, not just for the local business community, but the passengers who live here and know that brand.” The additional concessions in Concourse A will also relieve congestion and capacity issues that had existed in Concourse B.

Because the new facility does not include jet bridges, the airport opted for ADA-compliant boarding ramps from Timberline GSE instead of stairs to ensure that all passengers, including those with mobility challenges, can board and deplane easily. Piccolo notes that Allegiant Air and other carriers using Concourse A might also supplement the ramps with loading stairs at the rear of their aircraft to expedite boarding and deplaning for passengers with full mobility.

Designers focused on providing clear sightlines to the gates and other crucial destinations for passengers.

Making Connections

Arora Engineers extended fiber optic and copper backbones for the Airport Authority and TSA networks from the existing telecommunications rooms in the terminal to the new Concourse A ground boarding facility.

For the new security checkpoint, the firm installed a dedicated cabinet and additional data drops in the TSA telecommunications room. Sheeba Money, project manager with Arora Engineers, explains that this ensures compatibility with technology for Automated Screening Lane technology if implemented later.

Enhanced Operations

The airport invested in essential ground equipment, including ground power and pre-conditioned air units from ITW GSE, to streamline operations and foster gate-sharing and operational flexibility. When a gate is not in use by the airline that holds the preferential lease, SRQ can allocate it to other aircraft, provided it does not disrupt the leasing airline’s operations. This approach significantly enhances overall gate efficiency and utilization. “We were doing 4.3 million passengers out of the 13 gates, and that terminal was essentially designed for about 3 million, so we’re very efficient at utilizing the gates,” Piccolo reports. Using preferential-use gates and scheduling software, SRQ can accommodate more flights per day than with exclusive-use gates. “That gives us maximum capacity with a lesser investment in facilities, which saves the airport money, but also saves the airlines money,” he notes.

Prior to the recent expansion, 12 of the 13 Concourse B gates were preferential-use, and one was a common-use gate shared by five airlines. “As you can imagine, five airlines sharing one gate doesn’t work very well,” Stuckey remarks. Airport officials spent considerable time communicating with current and potential airlines to discuss how the new concourse will increase gate availability, ultimately supporting the addition of more services. “Now, it gives them the opportunity to take a little closer look at increasing service,” he says.

Allegiant Air consolidated its operations and is now the primary user of the five new ground boarding gates at Concourse A, freeing up its previous three gates in Concourse B for common use by other carriers. The airline served 757,514 passengers at SRQ in 2024, so moving to the new Concourse A not only helps relieve congestion on Concourse B but also allowed Allegiant to add 10 new nonstop destinations at SRQ. “They’ve increased their service by the number of seats into and out of our market for the month of March by 33%,” Stuckey explains. “So, they’re quickly adding flights.”

To celebrate the opening of Concourse A and highlight its partnerships with SRQ, Allegiant unveiled an aircraft festooned with marine life artwork and the logos for Visit Sarasota County and the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

With Allegiant’s move to the new concourse, SRQ is going to relocate the now-available four common-use gates at Concourse B so they are not so close together, allowing more flexibility for multiple airlines. “It’s really giving us the growing room we need to continue to add more service here at the airport,” Stuckey notes. Last year, airlines announced 20 new routes at SRQ. Ten began in 2024; 10 are scheduled to begin in 2025.

Cost savings associated with the new ground boarding facility allow SRQ to keep its airline rates competitive—almost half of what nearby competitors charge, Stuckey reports. However, the airport must continue to carefully manage growth and its improvement projects to avoid debt and prevent rate increases that could drive airlines to other airports. “It’s something we look at in every project we do,” Stuckey comments. “We want to keep the service we have. We want our airline partners to be profitable at our airport.”

Sustainability Efforts

Although SRQ did not pursue formal LEED certification for Concourse A, making it environmentally friendly was a key consideration throughout the project. For instance, deep overhangs help control the amount of solar gain and intense light that comes into the double-height connector hall.

Other sustainability features include:

• LED lighting
• UV sanitation when areas are not in use
• high-efficiency HVAC systems with new magnetic chillers
• rooftop units that improve air quality and reduce energy use by recirculating and using exhaust air
• additional electric line to enhance resilience
• new backup generator for the ground boarding facility and baggage handling system (generator operates on diesel, natural gas, or a combination for better flexibility and reliability)
• natural gas line allows concessionaires in Concourse A to power ovens with natural gas instead of electricity
• recycled building and finish materials used where possible
• apron concrete removed was repurposed for other projects

Kelly Pope, senior project manager with DeAngelis Diamond, notes that the new ground boarding facility was also a Buy American project, so about 90% of the material and equipment was manufactured and fabricated in the United States.

The airport partnered with ITW GSE to “go green on ground” with the new Concourse A expansion. “By implementing five electric [pre-conditioned air units] and 400 Hz power mounted combo trailers, they were able to avoid using fossil fuels,” comments Alberto Rocha with ITW GSE.

All five gates that are leased to Allegiant feature ITW GSE equipment with the company’s IPM technology, which manages the power consumption of the pre-conditioned air units and the 400 Hz power mounted combo trailers.

Rocha reports that the new combo trailers have been well received by the ground support team at SRQ. “During commissioning and training, the feedback was very positive and energetic,” he recalls. “Our customers were extremely happy with the products’ ease of use and convenience of [having] the PCA and 400 Hz on the same cart.”

The airport added ground power and pre-conditioned air units from ITW GSE to help facilitate gate-sharing.

Financial Impact

Total cost of the Concourse A Terminal project was about $120 million, funded through a combination of internal, state and federal sources. The FAA contributed about $66 million, including $25 million through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, additional entitlement funds and Airport Improvement Program grants. The state provided about $33 million—$13 million from the Florida Department of Transportation and a $21.5 million legislative appropriation. The remaining $22 million was covered by the airport.

The availability of federal funding played a crucial role, with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passing in November 2021, just as the project got underway. “The timing was very fortuitous,” Piccolo recalls. “We were in a very good position to go after some of that money, because we had basically a shovel-ready project about the day after the bill was passed.”

Thanks to those funding sources, SRQ is still debt-free—even with $100 million in other projects being finalized in the coming months. “We have an excellent relationship with our state organization, and Florida contributes a lot towards aviation because it is so important to the state’s tourism industry,” Piccolo comments.

The new Concourse A not only enhances the passenger experience but also contributes to the local economy. Additional concession spaces mean more jobs, and the facility’s increased capacity enables airlines to expand service, bringing more visitors to the region. In 2022, a Florida Department of Transportation study estimated SRQ’s economic impact at $3.2 billion annually, supporting more than 23,000 jobs. Both figures are expected to grow after this expansion.

Challenges and Successes

Building a new concourse in just 18½ months was no small feat—especially with other concurrent projects moving at full pace in the same area. “We hired the right contractor [DeAngelis Diamond/Magnum Builders], and they got it done on time, which is really challenging, post-COVID,” says Bontrager.

Pope notes that several challenges had to be addressed before construction could begin. One included an area of contaminated soil containing old fuel remnants, which was known prior to construction. Remediation on what became known affectionately as “Piccolo Park” was completed prior to demolishing the existing boardroom and tying into an adjacent mechanical room for the project.

Temporary structural measures were also needed, including a hurricane-resistant interior wall to separate the construction zone from ticketing. Temporarily moving the Air Operations Area security fence farther into the airfield allowed considerable construction to occur outside secure areas, which improved access for crews and reduced badging requirements.

Jason Smith, project executive with DeAngelis Diamond, reports that disruptions to airport operations were relatively minor because the new concourse was added at the end of the ticketing lobby. However, his crews had to work side-by-side with other contractors that were extending the curbside area and adding overhead signage in front of the ticketing lobby. “We found ways to work around those challenges and mitigate any impacts to them and the airport,” says Smith.

The project team also faced three hurricanes, which cumulatively impacted crews for 30 to 40 workdays. “We had to obviously prepare for the hurricane, come back and clean up, and then get back to work,” Smith explains. “We overcame them with the assistance of [Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority], the design team, our trade partners and maintained that end date…and met the commitments we made to everybody while maintaining the original budget.”

Like most other projects at the time, SRQ’s terminal expansion was not spared pandemic-related supply chain delays. Major components, such as electrical panels, HVAC systems and a generator had lead times exceeding a year, requiring creative solutions to stay on track. “It was a major obstacle in our schedule,” Pope recalls.

Temporary generators and chillers were used until permanent equipment arrived, and crews worked continuously when they finally arrived. “We had pre-planned with our trade partners to be able to work multiple shifts to cut their install time down to be able to hold the end date,” Smith explains. “The ultimate goal was to hold the original turnover date to the owner.”

Permitting also presented a significant challenge, as the project required approvals from Sarasota County for building and site development, and Manatee County for water and sewer. Bontrager notes that managing two different permitting agencies added complexity, but both counties were committed to keeping the project on track and worked collaboratively to expedite the process. “Although it was challenging, they stepped up and really helped us out,” he remarks.

Project Insights

Piccolo considers adding a ground boarding facility to be a fast, affordable expansion option—particularly for airports without considerable snowfall. Designing with long-term flexibility prevents costly modifications later, he adds.

Holdrooms include multiple types of Vitra seating to accommodate the needs and references of various passengers

Accurate as-built records and knowledge of past modifications are crucial for construction planning, says Pope, from DeAngelis Diamond. Undocumented changes, including tenant alterations, proved to be one of the biggest challenges at SRQ, she notes. On the plus side, clearly defined reroutes, pre-planned signage and updated maintenance records helped smooth the construction process.

Similarly, Money, from Arora Engineers, says it is helpful to understand the airport facilities linked through the existing fiber optic network, which aids in planning the reconfiguration of current duct banks and handholes or manholes. “It is beneficial to investigate, early in the design phase, existing underground utilities, such as fiber optic backbone running in existing underground communications duct bank within the proposed footprint of the new building,” she notes. This approach helps minimize disruption to airport operations and facilities.

Speaking from the contractor’s point of view, Pope identifies trust, open communication and strong collaboration between the Airport Authority, design team and contractor as key factors. She reports that challenges at SRQ were addressed constructively, and the partnership has been positive. “There’s a lot of respect and trust at the table,” she comments. “Selecting somebody that’s going to enhance the objective is paramount.”

Having the right stakeholders involved and actively engaged is essential to any major project, adds Jessica Smith of Gresham Smith. “There’s no way this project could be this successful without the airport’s active participation in that decision making and helping push things forward,” she shares.

The concessions lineup includes regional favorites, including Patrick’s 1481.

Another key consideration throughout the Concourse A project was planning for the future. Decisions were made strategically to avoid obstacles for future expansion and to align with the airport’s master plan. A forward-thinking approach required current developments to support long-term growth. “That was a conscious strategy that was always present in the process,” reports Wilson, from Gresham Smith.

Looking Ahead

Beyond the Concourse A terminal expansion, SRQ is finishing several projects in the coming months, including a new baggage handling and screening system, ramp expansion, two new surface parking lots (adding about 1,000 spaces) and a new cell phone parking lot.

The airport will also open a new ground transportation center early this year. It will provide connections to Uber, Lyft and taxi services, shuttles and both Manatee and Sarasota bus systems. The center will include a lounge for drivers, vending machines, restrooms and a place to get out of the Florida heat.

In addition to the three new concessionaires in Concourse A, the airport is also gaining 14 new restaurants, gift shops and bars in Concourse B.

After these projects are complete, SRQ will shift focus to the airfield for the next few years. Projects will refurbish taxiways and runways that have experienced increased commercial traffic. The airport is also considering adding a $200 million terminal parking garage.