OK, Where is the Grand Plan, spearheaded by Aviation Enthusiasts Hough/Silagi to manifest a user/foamer/enthusiast friendly SJC. We have yet to hear their plans for the observation deck, etc. et. al. Bryant Petitt Cumming, GA --- Bill Hough <psa188@xxxxxxxx> wrote: > --- In BATN@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "11/11 SJ Business > Journal" <batn@xxxx> > wrote: > > Published Friday, November 11, 2005, in the San Jose > Business Journal > > Split remains over scaled back plans for airport > expansion > > By Andrew F. Hamm > > Two prominent business groups have endorsed plans to > scale back > expansion at Mineta San Jose International Airport, > even as aviation > enthusiasts lobby for a more elaborate design. > > The San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce and > the San Jose > Convention & Visitors Bureau are backing a $1.5 > billion modernization > plan being pushed by Aviation Director William > Sherry which would > eliminate about $3 billion worth of improvements. > > The San Jose city council will be asked on Nov. 15 > to endorse the > modified design, which includes doing away with the > Central Terminal > once touted as an grand entranceway to San Jose as > well as a second > deck on the main airport thoroughfare. > > Mineta San Jose's 14 airlines favor the modified > plan, calling the > original design too costly and unnecessary. The > airlines have agreed > to raise their average per-passenger landing fee > from an average of > $4.33 to between $8 and $9 when the North Concourse > opens in 2008 and > no higher than $12 by 2017. Mr. Sherry figures fees > would have to be > increase to at least $17.63 per passenger and > perhaps much more if > the > original plan is adopted. > > "That would make us one of the most expensive > airports in the > nation," > Mr. Sherry says. > > But a group that includes at least four former > chiefs of the San Jose > Airport Commission say the city council needs to > take a longer view. > > They claim without the Central Terminal, Mineta San > Jose will just be > a hodgepodge of designs with no unifying theme, a > fate unbecoming San > Jose's status as the 10th most populous city in the > United States and > self-proclaimed "Capitol of Silicon Valley." > > "We had the best possible brains come in and review > the (original) > plan and they all said it was the way to go," says > former airport > chairman Art Knopf. "The airlines may grumble, but > in the end they > will fall in line." > > The commissioners say the city should look into > phasing in the > original design over several years if money is not > available to build > all of it now. > > However, Mr. Sherry says the North Concourse, > already under > construction, would have to be redesigned > immediately in order to > make > the modified plan work. > > "Time is of the essence," he says. > > To compensate for the loss of the Central Terminal, > airport designers > want to "flip" the North Concourse design, > essentially moving the > automated baggage-scanning system to its southern > end. The northern > half of Terminal C will be demolished "as soon as we > can get rid of > it," Mr. Sherry says. > > When the Southern Concourse is built, its > baggage-scanning system > will > be built to coordinate with the existing system. > The two buildings, > once completed, will connect to form one Grand > Terminal that will > also > include an expanded and modernized Terminal A. > > Mr. Sherry says there just isn't enough money to > make the original > plan work. > > When the airport's master plan was drawn up in 1997, > San Jose airport > was expecting 17.6 million passengers annually by > 2010. Now, that > number isn't expected until 2017 at the earliest. > In fact, with an > estimated 11.1 million passengers in 2005 the > airport is still 15 > percent below pre-Sept. 11, 2001, passenger numbers. > > As a result, San Jose expects to be able to only > raise between $1.2 > billion and $1.5 billion from bonds and federal > grants for expansion, > Mr. Sherry says. The original master plan has a > $2.8 billion price > tag in 2001 dollars that escalates to $4.5 billion > in 2017 dollars. > > "As a business concern, we want this airport to > remain competitive," > says Pat Dando, president and CEO of the chamber of > commerce. "It > appears the modified airport plan can accomplish > this with less > money. > We are all for it." > > Daniel Fenton, president and CEO of the convention > bureau, says his > organization wants the best design money can buy. > > "We have to have the airlines here for this to work. > We can't afford > to wait five years for the airlines to come around." > > > Andrew F. Hamm covers transportation for the > Business Journal. > He can be reached at 408-299-1841. > > --- End forwarded message --- > __________________________________ Yahoo! FareChase: Search multiple travel sites in one click. http://farechase.yahoo.com