Rebekah Wagoner with architecture firm Gensler presented the concept design to the board at its Tuesday meeting. The design was split into a first phase that would expand the terminal and a second concourse expansion that would be constructed at a later date.

The first phase would add to the northwest side of the airport terminal adding a new arrivals lobby that would look out toward Colorado National Monument. The design would fit with the airport’s sawtooth look and use similar materials.

“The major blue area is a complete renovation of the outbound baggage system and airline support area,” Wagoner said. “We’ll be moving the ticketing counters back a little bit, which gets a little additional queuing space. And then that center core of circulation will only be for departing passengers.”

Courtesy photoThe Grand Junction Regional Airport Authority Board approved this new logo design at its Tuesday meeting. Courtesy photo

Wagoner said the design proposes moving an escalator and adding another elevator. This will allow arriving and departing passengers to move more efficiently. Departing passengers will leave their planes and walk directly to the arrival lobby near the baggage claim area.

The arrival lobby will provide a location where people can greet visitors separate from departing passengers. Executive Director Angela Padalecki said the airport plans to use signage to welcome guests coming for major events like the annual Alpine Bank Junior College World Series.

Padalecki said the most optimistic timeline could see phase 1 begin construction in 2027, but the cost estimate could change their timeline.

The future concourse expansion would be a significant addition adding more terminals and passenger amenities. It would incorporate large windows highlighting the views of the Book Cliffs across the runway, Wagoner said.

Submitted renderingThe concept art shows what a the interior of a future concourse at Grand Junction Regional Airport could look like. Submitted rendering

“The goal of this is to create the kind of ideal concourse operations that are really efficient and a great passenger experience,” Wagoner said. “The form of it is taking off of the existing sawtooth and creating a repeatable sawtooth along the length of it. Then there’s a moment in the middle that kind of projects out further to the air side and could be more glazing. That’s this really celebrated moment that we call the living room.”

The design also proposes raising the concourse up another level, which would add another set of escalators. Wagoner said this would give the concourse a number of operational advantages.

“There’s so much operational advantage to going to a third level because you can build out whatever you need to on the apron level to support the concourse,” Wagoner said.

In addition to the update on the terminal design, the Board also approved a contract for its project refreshing the interior of the existing terminal. That project will cost around $750,000 with 95% of the cost being covered by federal funding. The board also approved a new airport logo and color palette.