(Photo by Noah Nelson)
On July 7 of this year, the Redmond Municipal Airport (RDM), in partnership with Skanska, held a ceremony to commemorate a major construction milestone: the placing of the final structural beam of the new terminal expansion project.
Construction workers, airport employees, media personnel and more gathered outside of the construction zone at 10am to watch team members involved with the project sign the final structural beam, adding their name to a long-lasting legacy. By the end of the hour, the beam had been covered in signatures, dates and happy messages, and raised before the crowd to be put in place at the end of the new terminal. The ceremony was capped off with a free lunch, celebrating the workers, the progress made, and what’s to come.
The RDM terminal expansion can be traced back to a 2018 strategic plan that pointed out the increasing demand of RDM as a travel hub, not just for Central Oregon, but for the greater Pacific Northwest. By 2021, the airport had put together the Terminal Area Concept Plan. This terminal expansion marks the beginning, the first major step, towards bringing the 2021 plan to life.
This transformative project will add more than 80,000 square feet of new space, including seven new jet bridges, expanded waiting areas, over 6,000 square feet of new concessions, and more than double the terminal passenger seating. Travelers will also benefit from enhanced accessibility, a state-of-the art companion care restroom, new restrooms, a post-security service animal relief area, and an advanced public address system for clearer communication.
Sustainability is also a priority in the expansion, which will feature solar panels to offset energy costs, energy-efficient HVAC systems, and a design that targets a LEED Silver Certification.
The topping off ceremony brings the community one step closer to achieving the goals of the new terminal expansion, of RDM, and the overall airline-travel goals of the region.
Visit flyrdm.com/terminal-expansion for more information on the terminal expansion.
