b'44 LNK TERMINALSLincoln Airport Expands and Updates 50-year-old Terminal BY KRISTEN RINDFLEISCHThis spring, Lincoln Airport (LNK)the preliminary pricetax increase that went into effect January officially cut the ribbon on atag always came2022 and will last for 15 years. The dramatically improved terminal.back much higherboards willingness to advocate for the tax In addition to adding 38,000 square feet ofthan expected,increase provided much-needed traction new space and renovating existing facilities,explains Chad Lay,for the airport. That ultimately is what got the Nebraska airport significantly enhanceddirector of Planningus over that funding hurdle and allowed post-security amenities. There is now a full- and Developmentthe project to move forward, Lay says.service restaurant/pub, a private lounge forfor Lincoln AirportCHAD LAY To make it all happen, LNK hired frequent flyers, upgraded holdrooms for allAuthority. Alliiance to lead planning and design, and inclusivity updates throughout. Before the COVID pandemic, discussionsSampson Construction as the By updating its 50-year-old terminalabout soliciting additional air service led toconstruction manager at risk, and Davis with a new post-9/11 layout, LNKthe realization that LNK would simply haveDesign as the local design, architecture completed a common rite of passage forto expand and renovate its terminal to fulfilland engineering partner. Davis Design was U.S. airports.TSA requirements and passenger needsalso a partner of the firms that designed Two terminal assessments had beenassociated with any new service. the original terminal back in 1972.conducted at LNK during the 20 or soThe board of directors agreed thatBi-weekly owner/architect/contractor years since TSA checkpoints were added,infrastructure improvements were worthmeetings were held throughout the but renovations and updates were keptpursuing, and general-purpose bondsproject to keep everyone on the same to a minimum. Every time we underwentwere issued to fund them. The bonds willpage. Weekly request for information and a study to evaluate what was needed,be repaid through a 1.75-cent propertysubmittal review meetings during peak September 2024AirportImprovement.com'