At an industry forum held in the spring, LAWA officials offered a closer look at the centerpiece of a $6-billion plan to expand LAX's passenger capacity: Terminal 9.
Terminal 9, which is part of the LAX Airfield and Terminal Modernization Project announced in 2019, would see the construction of a new 1.4-million-square-foot building on the east side of Sepulveda Boulevard - away from the notorious LAX "horseshoe." The new facility would have room for 12 gates serving wide-body planes or as many as 17 gates serving narrow-body planes - roughly 40 percent larger than the recent West Gates expansion.
“In many ways, Terminal 9 will become symbolic of a new era of architecture, design and inclusiveness at our campus, underscoring our reputation as a pacesetter that leads by example,” said LAWA chief development officer Terri Mestas in a news release.
Plans call for a four-story structure with an amorphous footprint, seated atop two levels of parking. Due to its location away from existing passenger gates, Terminal 9 is intended to have dedicated roads for automobile and pedestrian access, as well as its own people mover station, which would be added to the currently under-construction system.
Map of LAX Airfield and Terminal Modernization ProjectLAWA
LAWA is set to issue a request for qualifications to bidders looking to build Terminal 9 this month. The agency has previously aimed to complete Terminal 9 in advance of the 2028 Summer Olympic games.
The overall Airfield and Terminal Modernization Project is also slated to add more passenger gates to the northern half of the LAX central terminal area - an 11-gate extension of Terminal 1 dubbed "Concourse 0."
The $6-billion plan will follow a roughly $14-billion capital improvements project already undertaken at LAX over the past decade, which has refurbished passenger terminals, added the new people mover with a connection to Metro Rail, and a consolidated rental car facility which may be the largest parking garage in the world. Other upcoming projects include a planned expansion of the West Gates at Tom Bradley International Terminal.
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- LAX Airfield and Terminal Modernization Project (Urbanize LA)
