Construction on the new terminal at the Arlingotn Municipal Airport begins Thursday.
The city-owned the airport will break ground on a two-story, 17,000-square-foot expansion Thursday afternoon that is expected to cost about $5.1 million. The terminal was originally estimated to cost $4.5 million.
Thursday's turning of the dirt ceremony will be attended by congressman Joe Barton, who will present a check for $637,000 in FAA facility and equipment funding for construction and installation of advanced lighting and landing system equipment.
The terminal expansion is necessary to accomodate the increased traffic associated with events at Cowboys Stadium. Airport officials said there is an average of 50 to 80 planes arriving at the airport when the Cowboys play at home, compared to the normal number of 10 to 15 per day.
The expansion, which is expected to be completed in December, just months before the 2011 Super Bowl in Arlington, will feature a large community room, lobby and expensive office space that will be available for lease.
The terminal will be Arlington's first LEED Silver Certified building. That certification will make it one of the "greenest" facilities in town.
To learn more about the project, read the city of Arlington's 267-page Master Plan for the airport here:
