Heimbach urges board to reinstate Stewart terminal funding
NEW YORK – The Port Authority Board, Thursday, approved the largest
ever $32.2 billion 10-year capital plan. It includes $4 billion for a
LaGuardia Airport terminal replacement, work on a terminal at Newark Liberty
Airport and redevelopment of the John F. Kennedy International Airport.
The plan will spend $10 billion to enhance trans-Hudson commuting and $1.5 billion to complete the Goethals Bridge replacement and $2 billion to rehab the George Washington Bridge.
One project that was pulled from the capital plan was $20 million to build an international passenger facility at Stewart Airport. Before the board vote to approve the plan, Stewart Airport Commission Chairman Louis Heimbach made a second appearance before its members in New York City on Thursday, saying at least it approved a continued airline attraction incentive program, including international incentives.
“Which means that the foreign airline, which has not formally announced yet that it is coming, is going to be considered,” Heimbach said. “To that end that is Norwegian Airlines, but we also need to have a federal inspection station, which I talked about when I was here last month, would be $20 million, which is no longer included in the capital plan – it had been included previously – some planning money is still available and I see today it has not been changed.”
Heimbach said he would hope money would be targeted later this year for construction of that international arrivals area at the Stewart terminal.
