ACSG, Inc. - Project Profile: Rochester International Airport General Aviation Terminal

Project Profile: Rochester International Airport General Aviation Terminal

In each newsletter, a recent ACSG project will be profiled. In this issue, the new general aviation terminal at Rochester International Airport was chosen. It was completed and occupied in June 2002. ACSG was program manager for the project.
In 1997, ACSG completed a Master Plan Update for Rochester (MN) International Airport. It recognized the need for a new general aviation terminal at the facility.
Rochester International Airport has a unique customer demographic for a non-hub facility. On any given day, a 747 from the middle east with members of a royal family will be parked on the ramp while a movie personality or sports figure will be arriving through the general aviation facility to visit Mayo Clinic. Therefore, due to the presence of Mayo Clinic in the community, general aviation is a substantial and viable segment of the traffic at this airport. Generally, a community would consider the main airport terminal as the front door to their city. However in this case, the general aviation terminal is also part of that front door since dignitaries come to Rochester on private and corporate aircraft from around the world.

In February 2001 design commenced on a new 8,000 square foot facility that would represent the City of Rochester for corporate and general aviation passengers. ACSG was awarded the professional services contract as program manager and selected Yaggy/Colby Associates, a local firm, as the architect.

A contract was awarded in June of 2001 for the new Arrivals and Departure building for general aviation. Substantial completion was April 2002. The fixed base operator, Rochester Aviation, began operations out of the new facility on April 26, 2002.
The new general aviation terminal is a slab on grade construction and utilizes a steel structural frame. The building includes 3 main areas. In the center of the facility is a common area, which includes the Rochester Aviation reception desk, a gift shop, and well appointed waiting areas and meeting rooms. Natural light comes from a barrel vaulted ceiling that spans the area with clerestory windows all around. Large glass vestibules leading outside to vaulted canopies are at each end; one to landside and the other to airside. Appropriate security measures are included to protect airside access.

On each side of the main entry and reception area are offices and workspaces. One side of the building houses fixed base operations (FBO) that includes; the main offices of Rochester Aviation, kitchen and catering facilities, and the US Customs office. On the other side of the building there are two main functions; public areas with restrooms, vending services and conference rooms, and a separate and isolated pilots’ area with quiet room, restroom, lounge and work area.

Airport management and the FBO staff have received high praise for the new facility. With completion of a new hotel and restaurant in the airport industrial park and a golf course across from the airport, the new Rochester Arrivals and Departure building is now a destination for the general aviation community. A general aviation ramp expansion completed last year provides significantly more aircraft parking space which is especially important to all of the high performance corporate jet aircraft that visit this facility.

Les Conway, PE was ACSG’s program manager for this project seeing it through from design to completion. There were no change orders on the project. Many of those who have passed through since it opened have commented that it is one of finest general aviation terminals they have visited.

12-02 Naperville, IL, Rochester, MN