A multi-year reconstruction of the Colorado Springs Airport concourse area is set to begin next week in an effort to boost efficiency and better reflect the needs of the city’s disabled veterans, athletes and other travelers, officials announced Wednesday.

The concourse, the length of the airport that houses a stretch of gates, concessions and sitting areas, has not seen major renovations or structural upgrades since its construction in 1994, said the airport’s director of aviation Greg Phillips.

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The $34 million project, known as ElevateCOS, will “modernize” the airport by boosting its energy and water efficiency – a necessity for a growing airport that saw its busiest summer in over two decades and that continues to add more airlines, Phillips said.

The project is funded entirely by airport revenue reserves – not taxpayer money – and grants including a $6 million boost from the Federal Aviation Administration’s Aging Terminal Program, he said.

Upgrades include lifting the ceiling, improving lighting controls, glazing window exteriors and installing electrochromic windows to conserve air conditioning and energy usage by regulating heat and light.

Fast Facts

• The Colorado Springs Airport features just 12 gates in its only passenger terminal and hosts American, Delta, Southwest, United, Avelo and Sun Country airlines.
• The airport also owns a six-gate temporary terminal annex built by Western Pacific Airlines, but the facility is currently used for offices and hasn’t ever been used for passenger service.
• Officials did not indicate that the ElevateCOS project would expand the number of gates at the airport.

Water plumbing fixtures will also be replaced with more efficient models, he said.

Renovations are also focused on properly reflecting the accessibility needs of many travelers, including the large number of disabled veterans and Paralympic athletes who call Colorado Springs home, Phillips said.

“Colorado Springs should be a leader in accessibility, not just an airport that meets minimum standards,” Phillips said.

The concourse, currently fully carpeted, will be refloored with terrazzo tile for easier movement of both wheelchairs and suitcases, and restroom sizes will increase among other upgrades, officials said. A hearing loop system is also planned for hearing-impaired travelers.

The city selected Nunn Construction and HB&A Architecture and Planning, both local contractors, to oversee the project’s design and construction.

“Airports are 24-hour facilities (and) secure facilities that need to be safe, said Nunn Construction president Tyson Nunn, whose company has constructed multiple schools in the city as well as Colorado College’s Ed Robson Arena, the Pikes Peak Regional Development Center and more.

“(We have worked to) understand what the existing structure is, what the different passenger flows are, what airlines’ needs are … the construction does not diminish that safety at all,” he said.

The project is set to begin Sunday and last three years, split up into eight phases, officials said. 

False walls will separate certain areas under construction as the concourse remains open for travel, Phillips said, and passengers should be aware of certain changes to their gates based on airline.

“We’re going to have to move airlines as phases go to be able to complete the project,” Phillips said. “We’re trying to minimize that and trying to take care of customers and airlines, so that’s what you’ll see, mainly. You’ll see a section that is shut down, but the rest of the airport will remain open.”

The city has launched a website called ElevateCOS that will provide live updates and maps from the current building phase, and boarding passes will reflect gate changes, he said.

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