Albany County Airport Authority details $126 million terminal expansion, targets phased openings through early 2026

Peter Studo, chief executive officer of the Albany County Airport Authority, told the Legislature’s joint Law and Multimodal Transportation and Pedestrian Access committees that the authority is carrying out a roughly $100 million terminal improvement program and a separate $26 million Concourse A rehabilitation that together will add new gates and expand the airport’s passenger facilities.

The projects include a new connector building or departure hall — about 14,000 square feet — expanded TSA queuing with a seventh security lane, restrooms in the departure hall, a children’s playroom with a neurosensory room, a business center, an art gallery and two new gates at Concourse A. Studo said the authority is targeting phased openings and a final completion timeline of early 2026.

The improvements are being delivered while the airport remains in service, which the authority calls its principal scheduling challenge. “The project is complex,” Studo said. The authority described the work as a staged renovation so passengers can use completed elements rather than waiting for a single grand opening; the first phase, the authority said, is substantially complete and includes the children’s play area and business center.

Why this matters: the work changes the space where travelers queue and pass through security and is intended to speed processing, add passenger amenities and attract new airlines. The authority said the design choices — from art installations to exposed brickwork — aim to provide regional character while meeting operational needs.

Studo and the authority described measures intended to reduce cost and limit passenger disruption. The authority said it has identified more than $2 million in savings through value engineering, including substituting an expensive lighting element with artwork and revising bollard and signage plans. Concourse A work, which the authority said is funded mainly from airport funds and Federal Aviation Administration grants, will infill an old escalator opening to gain floor area and install two new jet bridges.

The authority said the construction workforce is unionized under a project labor agreement and includes trade crews, contractor management and in-house engineers. Studo declined to give a fixed daily headcount but said the number of workers varies by phase and day. He said most work is currently scheduled during daytime hours and that crews generally are not working overnight.

Committee members asked about accessibility and passenger circulation. Studo said the children’s area and departure hall will be served by stairs, escalators and elevators. On concerns about local character, committee members pressed the authority to ensure the renovated terminal signals “this is Albany” through signage and artwork; Studo said the authority has tried to preserve exposed red brick and is evaluating an exterior signage package if savings permit.

Funding and schedule: Studo said the authority hopes for approximately 1.5 million enplanements this year and described the total passenger flow as more than 3 million people (arrivals, departures and accompanying visitors) as context for the scope of work. He reiterated the authority’s goal to substantially complete the program by early 2026 and noted intermediate milestones and soft openings for concessions, including an Uncommon Grounds bagel shop planning a soft opening at the end of the month and a formal invitation to county leadership in early May.

The presentation included visuals of concrete pours, curtain-wall mockups and artist concepts developed with the Wild Center in Tupper Lake and the New York State Museum; artists cited included Ruby Palmer and sculptor Grace Lee Lawrence. The authority said it will continue to evaluate project sequencing to reduce passenger disruption and will continue briefings with county and legislative leadership.

Questions about maintenance items adjacent to the terminal also came up: a committee member asked whether cleaning or façade work on the older north garage was part of the current contract; Studo said cleaning is not funded through the terminal project but is on the authority’s spring–summer agenda.

"We believe we have a competent team," Studo said of the project staff and construction managers overseeing the work. "…we are going to be making savings of over $2,000,000." He described John O'Donnell, the authority’s chief operating officer, as the on-site engineering lead who oversees construction activities.

Looking ahead, the authority plans phased openings of finished areas, continued coordination with TSA and concessionaires, and further updates to the Legislature as construction proceeds.