Great Hall newsletter

April 2020

COVID-19, CARES Act and the Great Hall Project

Over the last couple of months, our world has been turned upside down by the COVID-19 pandemic. The impacts to the aviation industry have been significant. Nationwide, air travel is down approximately 95 percent, and this is no different for DEN. This drastic decline in passenger traffic is having a significant impact on DEN’s revenue. So, what does this mean for the Great Hall Project and will the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act stimulus package help fund the project?

 

To answer that, let’s first take a look at how the Great Hall Project is funded. The project is part of DEN’s $3.5 billion Capital Improvement Program (CIP), which is funded through airport bonds. In 2018, DEN issued approximately $2.1 billion in bonds to fund the CIP. These funds are dedicated specifically to the CIP projects and cannot be used for operations and maintenance of the airport, which means the Great Hall Project is already partially funded.

 

Now, what about the CARES Act funding? DEN is eligible to receive approximately $269 million through the CARES Act, which was signed into law on March 27. The CARES Act provides approximately $10 billion in grants for airports experiencing severe economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 health emergency.

 

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The Great Hall - April 2020

 

With the drastic reduction in passenger traffic and revenue, DEN has put significant cost-cutting measures in place, including: instituting a hiring freeze; reducing nonessential expenditures as much as possible; reviewing and reducing contracts where possible; and reprioritizing capital projects and programs to position the airport for a strong recovery. We are not anticipating a quick return of passenger traffic and revenue and must right-size our operations for an extended downturn. DEN is allocating the stimulus funds to cover debt service, which we normally pay with the revenue. It is vital that we keep the airport financially sound.

 

DEN is looking to potentially accelerate some work on the Great Hall Project and take advantage of lower passenger traffic. We are identifying opportunities to accelerate work and assessing the need to alter some design elements in response to what we believe will be impacts to passenger processing as a result of this virus. 

 


What is Happening with the Project?

Work on Phase I of the Great Hall Project continues with a focus on completing demolition and steel work in the center of the terminal. With lower passenger volumes, much work has shifted from nighttime to daytime, which allows crews to accomplish more and deliver materials more efficiently. Some of this work is noisy, which is why it was previously scheduled for nighttime hours. Crews have mobilized two small cranes in the construction area on Level 5. These cranes will facilitate steel installation on Levels 5 and 6.

 

Crane in terminalMarch included the following activities:

  • Installation of eight-foot high construction walls on both the North and South bridges of Level 6 to improve passenger safety. The walls have observation windows for passengers to peek at the construction progress.
  • Installation of construction walls on the concourse train arrival platform to prepare the area for new floor decking and concrete placement in the areas adjacent to the arrival escalators on Level 5.
  • Completion of architectural demolition under the South bridge to prepare for new steel connections that will attach the Level 6 extensions to the existing structure.
  • Installation of new vinyl material on the floor in the baggage claim areas to protect the joints between the new and existing floors.

In the coming weeks, demolition should be completed, and a large crane will be set up curbside on Level 6 to install structural steel at the perimeter of the terminal, where the new restrooms will be located.

 

This work will impact the Level 6 curbside area between Doors 606 and 610 on the west side and Doors 607 and 611 on the east side. Curbside check-in and passenger drop-off will be unavailable in those areas while the crane is set-up and signs will direct passengers to alternate areas.


How is the Great Hall Project Protecting Their Workers from COVID-19?

As construction work continues on the Great Hall Project, the safety of employees and passengers remains our top priority. To help minimize the spread of COVID-19, Great Hall contractor Hensel Phelps has taken a number of actions including:

  • Requiring all employees to wear a face mask
  • Conducting health checks of employees by trained professionals that include temperature screening prior to entering the worksite
  • Cleaning and disinfecting high-touch surface areas and common areas including meeting rooms, restrooms and break areas
  • Posting timely information in high traffic and common areas to ensure awareness of regulatory guidelines
  • Employees are practicing social distancing including working from home when possible and staying home if they are sick

face masks


Spotlight on Studio Completiva: A Minority Business Enterprise

Yong ChoNumerous certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) companies are supporting prime contractor Hensel Phelps and lead designer Stantec in the design and construction of the Great Hall Project. Studio Completiva, a Denver-based architecture and planning firm, is one of these firms and has been with the project from the beginning.

 

Studio Completiva is supporting Stantec in the design of the Central Monitoring Facility, where TSA will resolve checked baggage screening. They are also working on the development of the curbside work, including the glass walls, metal panels, and roofing, and they are revising design documents to meet the current project scope.

 

Yong Cho, the principal of Studio Completiva is dedicated to serving communities through positive, responsible and sustainable impacts. Their firm works on mixed-use, mixed-income and mixed-construction planning and design projects and the Great Hall Project is their first partnership with DEN.

 

“For our part, Studio Completiva aims to bring an additional perspective through our rigorous, innovative, and collaborative design process” states Rosa Cho, fellow principal of Studio Completiva.


 
 

 


 

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