Lambert Renovation Continues After Tornado

Despite extensive damage from the EF-4 tornado that hit Lambert-St. Louis International Airport in April, Kwame Building Group is continuing work on Phase II of the $70 million interior renovation known as the Airport Experience Program.

The $50 million Phase II project, which had begun just a few weeks earlier in April, is the most intensive phase of the program, the largest interior renovation in the airport's history. Construction will be complete in late 2012.

Kwame played a key role as a member of the emergency response team, helping the airport return to full capacity within just 48 hours. Workers used plywood sheets, previously set aside for construction walls in Concourses A and C, to board up nearly 50 percent of the iconic arched windows in the airport's historic Terminal 1. With emergency repairs finished, KWAME has resumed work on improvements to Concourse A and Terminal 1; Concourse C is closed due to extensive damage from the tornado; work on that concourse is pending damage and insurance assessments.

Concourse C's roof and baggage handling system were ripped away. Blast-proof glass in Terminal 1 kept the panels intact or in smaller pieces. Part of a new airport roadway sign was ripped off and embedded in an airport building, cutting through a conduit.

"It really is very impressive that this airport got up and running so soon after the tornado hit," said Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, who toured the damaged airport.

Kwame is providing program management, design and construction procurement, and design and construction management services for the Airport Experience Program. The architect on Phase II is Teng and Associates; the engineering firm is Burns & McDonnell.

Lambert Airport's Airport Experience Program is focused on improving passenger services and airport operations while delivering a dramatic visual makeover of the historic Terminal I, designed by architect Minoru Yamasaki in 1956. KWAME provided program management services for Phase 1, which included ticketing dome restoration and skylights with LED nighttime lighting in Terminal 1, a new in-bound baggage system and new wayfinding signage along Lambert International Blvd.

"This renovation is breathing new life into Lambert-St. Louis Airport while preserving its history," said Airport Director Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge. "Lambert is our region's most important economic asset. The Airport Experience Program demonstrates our commitment to enhancing both the passenger experience and our competitive position."

An historic 1934 Monocoupe D-145 plane, once owned by Charles Lindbergh and displayed over the C Concourse checkpoint for many years, will be restored during the renovation and re-installed after construction in that area is completed.

Lambert-St. Louis Airport improvements will include:
• New columns, programmable LED column caps and new lighting in Terminal 1;
• Relocation of the C Concourse checkpoint to accommodate the latest passenger screening equipment;
• A new atrium to connect ticketing and lower levels;
• New baggage claim restrooms and renovation of existing restrooms;
• New ticket counters and Terrazzo flooring on the upper level Ticketing Hall;
• New signage and directories;
• "St. Louis Stage," a new dedicated performance area in the lower level;
• New art displays in the renovated areas.
• New terrazo flooring, wall tile, countertops and sink fixtures in the concourse restrooms.

Kwame will assist in managing the contracts to handle the insurance repairs.

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