Many of you may have seen news reports that Gander International Airport’s lounge was chosen as one of Heritage Canada – The National Trust’s Top 10 Endangered Spaces. We understand people’s concerns about the future of the airport’s famed international lounge and welcome the productive public discussion about the future of that space. While we have tried to stake out the middle ground on this matter and listen attentively, Heritage Canada’s summary article contains inaccuracies that need to be corrected. Firstly, it includes statements such as: “Gander International Airport Authority announced that it was pursuing plans to demolish and replace the existing airport structure” and “recent media reports say the GIAA is planning to preserve elements of the artwork and some furniture, but the entire terminal is scheduled for demolition.” This is entirely untrue. To clarify, the airport authority has said that the current air terminal building’s size and inefficiencies make the operating costs untenable going forward. As part of its work to address operating costs, it is assessing the construction of a new air terminal building. The authority supports any viable proposal to preserve, protect or repurpose the old terminal building so long as that endeavor is sustainable and cost-neutral to the airport authority. There has been no “demolition announcement” as the article purports; this is a mistake, misunderstanding, fabrication or reckless hyperbole. The article also states that: “Construction of a new terminal is slated to begin within the next two years. The decision was based on a report commissioned in 2013 […]” This is also untrue. There is no timetable for the construction of a new air terminal building and no decision has been made on whether to proceed with the project. The “report commissioned” is actually a tender awarded to an architectural team who will produce a conceptual design for a new terminal, which includes site selection, design and the provision of a class C cost estimate. The report is expected to be delivered by this fall at which time it will be reviewed at length. Whether the airport authority actually proceeds with a new terminal construction will depend on a host of factors, including project cost, operational benefits and the successful sourcing of public sector investment to build a new facility. One of the unfortunate byproducts of the terminal preservation campaign is that many people, including a significant percentage who are signatories to an online petition, are confusing the preservation of the airport’s international lounge with the complete closure of the airport. This has occurred to the extent the airport is receiving calls from would-be travelers concerned about whether they can confidently book flights to and from Gander. We know it is unintentional, but shaking consumer confidence is seldom good. The ultimate expression of support for your local airport is to fly from it, so we would encourage people to gain a full understanding of the important issues at play here as some of the wording used in communications supporting the preservation is somewhat nebulous. Gander Airport is and will continue to be open for business and can accommodate your travel plans, present and future. Our historic airport is an important part of Canada’s built heritage, transportation infrastructure and economy. We fully expect this will remain an active public discussion. We would only ask that the discussion reflect the facts as they are known. We remain committed to maintaining an open and transparent dialogue going forward.
Posted on: Mon, 21 Jul 2014 18:44:58 +0000