Meet the Construction Teams

Home Airport Projects The Green Build Beyond the Build Meet the Construction Teams

The Green Build is the largest project in the history of San Diego International Airport, and it will take many people to get the job done. Two highly qualified, experienced teams are leading the effort – Kiewit/Sundt and Turner/PCL/Flatiron. Let’s get to know them!

Introducing…Kiewit/Sundt

Led by project director Mike Lowe of Poway, the Kiewit/Sundt team will undertake the “Land Side” portion of The Green Build. This includes:

• Dual-level roadway to separate arriving and departing passengers and reduce current curbside congestion;
• Check-in curb in front of Terminal 2, allowing most passengers to get their boarding passes and check bags at automated curbside kiosks prior to entering the terminal;
• Parking improvements; and
• Roadway improvements.

Kiewit is no stranger to Lindbergh Field. In fact, the company worked on the most recent landside expansion of Terminals 1 and 2 in the late 1990s. The team has also worked on projects for LAX, Phoenix Sky Harbor, Miami International Airport and Denver International Airport, among others.

“We know this airport well, and we have a wealth of experience to draw from,” says Mike. “One of the things we’re most excited about is approaching this project from a design-build standpoint. This is the new industry standard, and gets the contractor involved early-on providing feedback on the design. It also allows us to start construction while work continues on the design, saving time and money.”

The Kiewit/Sundt team is co-located with the Airport Authority, along with Turner/PCL/Flatiron, to ensure close collaboration, efficiency and ease of communication.

“The team approach to this project is really unique,” says Mike. “A project of this magnitude requires a great deal of teamwork and this is an ideal way to make that happen.”

The first project underway for Kiewit/Sundt was the build-out of Gate 19 as a temporary USO facility, and the team planned carefully to provide contract opportunities for local small businesses. In fact, 100 percent of the project was awarded to local businesses, of which 46 percent were local small businesses.

“We’re thrilled to provide these opportunities to local small, disadvantaged, women-owned and minority-owned businesses,” says Mike. “People know the project is coming and they’re getting energized. This is great work for these businesses.”

For more information on opportunities for small businesses, visit http://www.san.org/smallbusiness/.

Mike is also excited about the project’s focus on environmentally-friendly construction and sustainability.

“Our goal is to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council,” says Mike. “We’re exploring everything from drought tolerant landscaping to the treatment of storm water to parking for electric vehicles. We hope to make this project an example for future ‘green’ airport expansions.”

Mike says he and his team are honored to be involved in The Green Build.

“We are thrilled to be a part of the largest project ever to take place at Lindbergh Field,” says Mike. “We’ve been in San Diego for more than 25 years, and the opportunity to work on this project while providing jobs for local workers and having a hand in improvements that will make a difference for travelers is an incredible thing. We feel very fortunate to be part of this program.”

Introducing…Turner/PCL/Flatiron

While Kiewit/Sundt works on the “Land Side” portion of The Green Build, including the dual-level roadway, check-in curb and parking improvements, the Turner/PCL/Flatiron team is responsible for The Green Build’s “Air Side.” This includes:

• A three-story, 460,000 square-foot expansion of Terminal 2, including a marketplace-style concession area and larger, more comfortable passenger waiting areas;
• 10 new gates; and
• 1,500,000 square feet of new taxiway and jet parking.

Led by project director Dan McGuckin of Carlsbad, the Turner/PCL/Flatiron team has extensive experience working on airports around the country, including Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac), San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and The Big Build at Sacramento International Airport.

“We’re especially excited about the traveler benefits of the new terminal expansion,” says Dan. “It will be a landmark building, and the new concessions area, with its high atrium ceiling, will be a real jewel. Travelers are going to love it.”

Dan says The Green Build’s design-build construction process makes it a ground-breaking project to work on. This is the first design-build project to take place at Lindbergh Field. However, the Turner/PCL/Flatiron team and its lead designer HNTB are very familiar with the design-build process.

“This progressive method of construction will make The Green Build a much more integrated, streamlined project,” says Dan. “It requires lots of teamwork, and we’re excited to work hand-in-hand with the Airport Authority and Kiewit/Sundt to make that happen.”

The first major project for the Turner/PCL/Flatiron team is constructing additional parking for aircraft, which will help to ease the airport’s early-morning airfield “rush hour.” As a result of additional parking, fewer planes will have to cross the runway, a plus for traveler departure times.

There will be a variety of opportunities for small businesses to participate in the aircraft parking project.

“We’re tailoring our construction packages for smaller local companies, so they have a great shot at getting the work,” says Dan. “We’re committed to delivering a great project to the San Diego County community that is built by the people and companies who live and do business here.”

For more information on opportunities for small, disadvantaged, women-owned and minority-owned businesses, visit http://www.san.org/smallbusiness/.

As construction proceeds, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council will be an important focus. Dan and many of his team members are LEED-accredited, and they plan to incorporate a number of water-saving and energy-saving elements into the building, including the use of natural light in the terminal and on-site recycling of construction materials.

“It is a tremendous opportunity to be involved in such a landmark construction project, and working with a team of very dedicated professionals,” says Dan. “We hope travelers will benefit from a more efficient airport when construction is complete, but we also hope to benefit the community throughout the process, as we provide jobs and economic impact to the region.”