USA. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, in partnership with American Airlines and Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) Airports, has announced a US$125 million commercial redevelopment programme for John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) Terminal 8.
The project will feature a new Great Hall and will include more than 60 new shopping and restaurant offerings in the terminal. The partners pledged an emphasis on locally owned and diverse businesses, with the concessions programme set to showcase New York’s culinary scene and a strong Sense of Place.
Following the recent completion of a US$400 million expansion of Terminal 8, the commercial redevelopment aims to further enhance the customer experience at the terminal with a redesign and expansion of the concessions programme, including new dining, retail, duty free shopping, performance space and digitally enabled experiences for customers. Affordable dining options consistent with the Port Authority’s street pricing policy will be included.
The connection to the Queens, New York City, and New York State communities will be at the forefront of the redevelopment, from design and construction to operating opportunities for local business owners. With the expansion of the concessions programme, the project will create more than 300 new concessions jobs at Terminal 8.
“This is another tremendous milestone in our extensive JFK Redevelopment Program,” said Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton. “We are excited for the continued transformation to bring customers a world-class travel experience, boost employment opportunities for our local communities, and provide a pathway for local and minority enterprises to propel their business as a design, construction or concession partner.”
“Visitors from around the world will get their first taste of what our region has to offer as soon as they step into JFK’s Terminal 8, which, like all of our new airport terminals, will feature a wide range of local dining and shops,” said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole. “Local businesses help us create a Sense of Place unique to the region.”
“We look forward to working with our project partners, the Port Authority and the local community to deliver a transformative dining and shopping experience that represents the dynamic New York region,” said American Airlines’ Vice President of Airport Affairs and Facilities Amanda Zhang. “We’re committed to ensuring a world-class experience at Terminal 8 and this commercial redevelopment will further elevate the travel journey for our customers and our oneworld partners.”
American selected JFK T8 Innovation Partners, a joint venture led by URW, to lead the redevelopment. Also joining the T8 Partners team, with a 30% equity stake, is Phoenix Infrastructure Group, a minority-owned, Minority Business Enterprise (MBE)-certified investment firm focused on critical infrastructure projects. Also involved is Holt Construction, a New York firm with experience in more than 100 aviation projects at airports across the country, including the expansion of Terminal 8 where Holt exceeded its 30% Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) participation goal.
“It is an honour to partner with American Airlines and the Port Authority to help transform JFK and bring major benefits to New Yorkers and travellers from around the world,” said URW Airports CEO Dany Nasr. “We’re committed to ensuring Terminal 8’s concession programme celebrates New York’s incredible diversity and represents the best of New York with a line-up that spotlights local, small and minority-owned businesses alongside global icons.”
“We are thrilled and honoured to be a part of this historic infrastructure project at the world-class gateway JFK Airport,” said Phoenix Infrastructure Group CEO Jeremy Ebie. “The redevelopment of Terminal 8 will raise the bar in both delivering a next-generation customer experience and in creating a new and truly impactful model for engaging with local communities in achieving the ultimate goal of building opportunity and sustaining long-term benefits for its citizens.”
Local opportunities
Port Authority noted that at all of its airport redevelopment projects, an emphasis on including locally-owned dining and shops is a key part of the agency’s vision.
To lower the barriers of entry into the airport industry for locally-owned small businesses, T8 Partners will launch a small business accelerator programme for Queens and other local enterprises that will provide technical assistance and innovative leasing approaches with low risk. T8 Partners is also committed to achieving the Port Authority goal of 30% M/WBE participation in the design and construction of concession spaces and 30 percent Airport Concessions Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) for concession operations.
With sustainability as another fundamental element to the redevelopment, T8 Partners has partnered with The Green Restaurant Association to deliver a food & beverage programme with brands that value sustainable business practices and get all eligible tenants to become Certified Green Restaurants. The certification is based on the sustainability of the restaurant’s energy, water, waste, chemicals, food sources and packaging.
Terminal 8 sessions announced
As the opportunities become available, 27 July is the date for the Introduction to Architectural, Engineering & Construction series; the Introduction to Airports Concessions Opportunities will be held on 1 August.
To learn more about the project and to register for an upcoming business opportunity outreach event visit anewjfk.com
In January 2017, the JFK Vision Plan was announced to transform John F. Kennedy International Airport into a “world-class airport”.
The US$9.5 billion development of New Terminal One will anchor the airport’s south side, breaking ground in September 2022. The US$1.5 billion expansion of Terminal 4, led by Delta Air Lines and JFK International Air Terminal, is now under construction.
A new US$4.2 billion Terminal 6, which will connect seamlessly with Terminal 5 to create an anchor terminal on the airport’s north side, broke ground in February. Additionally, the US$400 million modernisation and expansion of Terminal 8, led by American Airlines, which operates the terminal, and British Airways, which relocated to Terminal 8 late last year, was completed in November 2022. ✈
