Public art, WiFi and a Sam Adams bar. Sound like a fun place to hang?
Officials with the St. Petersburg-Clearwater Airport hope travelers
think so.
Airport renovations, largely funded
by federal stimulus money, are completed, and according to an airport
spokesperson, simply have to be seen to be fully appreciated.
"Our terminal renovation completely transformed
our interior," says Michele Routh, the airport's community relations
director. "We added two passenger-loading bridges and replaced
infrastructure that was up to 50 years old: HVAC, electrical, plumbing,
doors and elevators. In the process, the airport's becoming much more
energy efficient. We also have free WiFi throughout and a Sam Adams Bar
with very comfortable hold rooms."
The
structural renovations inspired aesthetic ones, too. The new terminal
sports a tropical theme featuring a 45-foot-by-five-foot blown glass
wall crafted and painted by artist
Guy Kemper. Kemper says he hopes
his work helps to make the screening process more pleasant and less
stressful. The work, designed by Kemper in his Kentucky studio and
crafted in Germany, is entitled
SunSkySea.
The wall separates the landside terminal from the security area. A
terrazzo floor medallion depicts sun and fish from the perspective of a
scuba mask.
Roush says the total project costs
came in at a little over $20 million, 98 percent of which came from
grants and passenger facility charges. "We are a debt-free and
self-supporting, " she says.
All flights from
the
St.
Petersburg-Clearwater Airport are nonstop and competitively priced,
with
destinations
throughout the Midwest, Canada, the Keys, and the Bahamas. Gamers have
their choice of two airlines that fly directly to Biloxi, MS.
Writer:
Missy Kavanaugh
Source:
Michele Routh, St. Petersburg-Clearwater Airport
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