Kalamzaoo / Battle Creek Airport has a brand new terminal building which is due to open on 27 April.
The $39 million structure brings functionality, flexibility and efficiency to tenants and air passengers. It is two-storys, 92,000-square-foot, and takes advantage of natural light while minimizing direct sunlight. The roofs of the public spaces of the terminal have large overhangs and slopes to shade the facades with higher solar exposure while reaching up to more northern exposures. The glazing is highly efficient, allowing light in, but blocking heat transfer. The building design incorporates several strategies to minimize its carbon footprint, including energy efficiency. Recycled and recyclable materials are being used, and the design minimizes use of water. The project stresses the use of local materials.
If you are in the area, you are invited to a special open day to look around the new building on Saturday, April 16, from 10 am to 5 pm, with food, entertainment and tours.
A dedication of the facility with a ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held the morning of April 21, and the terminal will open April 27.
The new terminal is being built not only for the convenience and comfort of patients, but also to help attract airlines. “Airlines want to be productive and profitable,” says Airport Director Clifton Moshoginis. “And they’re seeking an environment, with high passenger satisfaction to do so.” When the W.E. Upjohn Institute studied the regional impact of the airport, it determined that it produced some $175.2 million in total sales and services output. The study determined that the region would be hurt — and jobs would be lost — if the airport didn’t exist. The economists also pointed out that lack of a commercial airport for a metropolitan area the size of Kalamazoo-Battle Creek would put us at a competitive disadvantage, now and in the future.
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