Chattanooga airport officials are looking at what could be the biggest slate of improvements at the passenger terminal in almost two decades.
Among changes eyed are shifting the passenger security checkpoint, adding a 1,200-space parking garage and improving exterior traffic flow, officials said.
Also weighed is renovation of ticketing, baggage and food and concessions areas along with improvements in the exterior rental car site and other ground transportation.
"It's something we want to look at in great detail," said Mike Landguth, the airport's president.
Tall order for consultant
The airport received bids from seven design consultants, he said. A firm likely will be picked by summer.
Airport spokeswoman Christina Siebold said the winning bidder will come up with ways to finance proposals and work up a timeline to implement them, which could be over a period of years.
"It's important to remember there may not be dramatic changes immediately," Siebold said. But in coming years, there should be "some real improvements to our travelers' access to and through the terminal," she said.
Driving the potential changes is growth, future activity identified in the airport's master plan and meeting passenger needs, Siebold said.
While airport boardings were down last year by 6 percent compared to 2009 to 291,388 passengers, traffic grew the last half of the year, Landguth said.
Also, airport officials have talked about the addition of companies such as Volkswagen, Wacker and others in the area. Lovell Field recently landed another carrier, Vision Airlines.
2-lane checkpoint
A key project could involve relocating the passenger security checkpoint from the terminal's second level to the first and the addition of another lane.
"The Transportation Security Administration would like to put in a second lane," Siebold said.
TSA plans to install a full-body scan device, but the existing space may not be enough, she said.
"Our No. 1 priority is eliminating potential bottlenecks in the passenger processing system both in the access to the airport and through the checkpoint," Siebold said.
The parking garage would nearly double existing inventory, she said.
This week, the airport lot has been nearly full, Siebold said, noting this time of the year typically isn't especially busy at the airport.
"We must maintain our competitive advantage of offering convenience to passengers," she said.
Improved first impressions
Trevor Hamilton, the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce's vice president for economic development, said the airport is a gateway and often a visitor's first impression of the city.
"It makes a statement about the community," he said.
Airport travelers Friday said they'd welcome some of the work.
"Increased amenities would be a help," said Calvin Anderson, of Memphis. He said he'd like to see a broader array of food offerings in case of an airline delay.
Jim Hinton, of Richmond, Texas, said he likes flying out of medium-size airports such as Chattanooga's. He said he'd like to see taxes he pays to fly be plowed back into airport improvements.
In 1992, the airport opened the existing terminal, a $19 million project complete with Lovell Field's signature 75-foot skylit copper dome.