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says Ferré. “One hundred percent of the wood that’s used throughout the new main terminal (for the ceiling, concession buildouts and flooring) is sourced from within 300 miles of the airport, from small family- and community- owned forests and Tribal lands,” she adds. The ZGF team notes that PDX will be one of the first airports in the world to be mostly constructed from mass timber. The project features 2.6 million board feet of wood traceable back to mills within a 300-mile radius. “As the airline industry works towards their own carbon neutral goals,” says Sandoval, “wood is a building material that helps push that needle towards achieving them.” The push to make PDX a Portland proud airport extends to the new terminal’s retail and dining program, says Ferré, who notes that new concessionaires are 100% local brands. The main terminal “takes cues from the fabric of the city of Portland itself,” says Sandoval. Travelers can expect to encounter “independent storefronts clustered together along a tree

lined ‘street,’ musicians strumming guitars on the corner and cafe seating spilling out onto patios,” adds Ferré, in what airport officials hope will be a relaxing “neighborhood feel” for passengers waiting for their flights. Newcomers to the PDX “neighborhood” include 21 new dining and retail operators, set to open between May 2024 and the end of 2025, in a combination of license agreements and direct leases, says Ferré. Highlights include craft brews from the Loyal Legion Taphouse, vegan truffles from confectioner Missionary Chocolates, artisan apparel from the family-owned Orox Leather Co., and of course, plenty of java from return operators Stumptown and Portland Coffee Roasters. There’s another fan-favorite returning to the terminal, too - PDX’s iconic teal carpet, first installed in 1988 and beloved by locals and visitors for decades (see related story, page ??). The large-scale renovation should be a boon to the airport - and city’s - revenue, says Ferré. “One of the goals for

Above: The new terminal will feature “tree-lined streets” interspersed with local shopping and dining. All of the concessions in the new terminal are brands local to Portland and the region. (photo credit: Courtesy of Port of Portland)

PDX Next was to keep the money in the region by providing jobs and economic opportunities for local businesses,” she says. An estimated 32,000 workers will contribute to the project by its completion and that $290 million in contracts were awarded to Minority, Women Owned, Emerging Small Business. An inclusive, sustainable and locally focused new terminal is something that Ferré and the team at PDX hope will bring “a sense of pride” for locals, she adds. “PDX is a place for everyone, and this project is about making our airport even more of a reflection of the region we love. It belongs to everyone.”

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AX NEWS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024