Sonoma County Airport
Terminal Remodel
Updated February 8, 2010
The Remodel is underway and Horizon Air remains open for business. Careful planning will keep the facility open throughout the improvement project. Flight schedules, safety and security standards will remain in place. Please bear with us, it will be worth the wait.
Construction began in July 2009, the anticipated completion date is April 2010. Check in regularly to watch our progress. To receive emailed construction updates and other Airport News sign up here.
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Our Progress
February 2010 January was a rainy month but progress was made and continues in February. Most recent posts are shown first.
 Looking north toward the remodel, with the Sky Lounge Restaurant at right. The Terminal walls are taking shape. (2/5/10) |
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 This interior view shows the entrance to the new Security screening area. The open expanse in the center will be the enhanced public area of the enlarged Terminal. |
January 2010 Happy New Year!
 Looking south toward the Tower You can see framing for interior walls. (1/29/10) |
 Looking west toward the Security Building with new restrooms to the right. |
 The new walls at the right now obsure the Security building (see large photo below). The slab floor has been poured and wall framing is going up. (1/15/10) |
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 The new slab floor is seen here north of the tower and the restaurant. |
 Adding texture to the newly poured surface of the slab floor. |
 The new structure will connect the older terminal to the Security building, providing much more space for passenger comfort. (1/7/10) |
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 The old Terminal wall north of the tower and new posts and beams. (1/7/10) |
 Posts and beams indicate the design of the building to come. (1/4/10) |
December 2009 Work in December consisted of footing excavation, installation of rebar, pouring of footings, the beginnings of walls (yes!), underslab electric, and the hauling off of dirt (less dirt, more terminal please). Most recent posts come first.
 The above-floor structure is taking shape as posts are raised. (12/29/09) |
 Rebar and foundation work that will support walls to come. |
 Footings and foundation work Installation of rebar and footings are part of the foundation underlying the future floor and walls of the remodeled terminal. (12/10/09) |
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 Seen above is the view from the Air Traffic Control Tower Foundation work is at the center. The new structure will connect the Security building at left to the Terminal at right. The fire house is seen in the upper right corner north of the Terminal. (12/1/09) |
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 Baggage claim is in the temporary tent at left, Sky Lounge patio under the white roof, and the Security building above. |
 Footing trenches for underslab utilities Base material has been poured to make way for rebar and foundation footings. |
 Horizon Air's 76-seat Q400 uses 30-40% less fuel and produces 30-40% less carbon emissions than comparable jet aircraft. That's why this plane is green! |
 Kaiser Air / Santa Rosa Jet Center is near completion of their own remodel. Kaiser Air provides ground crew for Horizon AIr along with other aviation services. |
November 2009 Work continues on the foundation. Most recent posts come first, sort of.
 Horizon ground crew at old counter, first day of service, March 20, 2007. |
 New counter at the gate where you board. Bon voyage! (11/17/09) |
 Mount Snoopy and Lake Red Baron. It rained. Rain is good. We needed it. 11/5 |
 Drying dirt and a back hoe Getting ready to add filler for the pad build up. |
 This is amazing! Look away for a few minutes and Mount Snoopy is gone! 11/17 |
 Come on up to my pad The lines show were walls will eventually go. |
 Time for a break! This cozy corner is just a few steps from the Sky Lounge patio. |
 Passenger waiting area Those are reproduction Peanuts comics on the walls. |
October 2009 The old breezeway is gone, what will come next?
Most recent posts come first.
 Haunted Terminal Beware of ghosts in the terminal! These two don't look too scary. Happy Halloween! (10/30/09) |
 Another beautiful day at STS Having just arrived, passengers are waiting for Ala Carte baggage, fresh off the plane! |
 Dirt and more dirt! I don't know about you, but I want to see some walls go up! But we need a foundation first. Sigh. |
 101 North This pretty view has changed. Highway 101 between Santa Rosa and Windsor is undergoing improvements, too. |
 Still removing concrete The backhoe operator gently lifts a big chunk of concrete for removal. 10/23 |
 Into a truck for removal The area is now pretty clean in preparation for fill and utilities. |
 Inside the terminal A temporary wall is at left. The ticket kiosk is operational but will be moved for easier check in. 10/20 |
 That's Randy installing brackets Our patient passengers don't seem to mind that work is underway. 10/21 |
 It didn't take long for the shelf to go up. The ticket kiosk behind Randy is still operational. 10/21 |
 All done and ready to go! This area will be redone before completion. Meanwhile, passengers can easily check in. 10/22 |
 Drying out We had some much-needed rain but blue skies have returned and excavation continues. 10/20 |
 More backhoe work Concrete chunks and debris are removed to make way for fill. A solid foundation is always important. |
 The earth moved! Earth is dug out about 18 - 48 inches deep to make space for low compact fill which will bear the weight of a building without crushing utilities. 10/12 |
 Dig in one spot, dump in another Wow, moving earth is a lot of work! Here, an earth moving professional is seen making a pile o' dirt for eventual removal. |
 Buried treasure Conduits holding new phone, data, communication, and electrical lines are covered with a filler that prevents compacting. 10/9 |
 Prepping for the next steps. Old cement will be trucked away in time for excavation, the additon of engineered fill,and the slab foundation. |
 Stimulus Funds at work The Airport received $1,685,000 in stimulus funds for the terminal remodel and expansion. The project is providing work for 110 people. |
 Security Personnel at STS are doing a terrific job working around the remodel. Here they are on break singing Put on a Happy Face from Bye Bye Birdie. (Kidding!) |
 A view from the bar Have an iced tea and watch the remodel progress from the Sky Lounge Restaurant. Yes, iced tea. It's not Happy Hour and we're hard at work! 10/2 |
 Relics of electricity past and not the little red-haired girl's lost ribbons. The removal of old pipes and wiring found under old concrete is taking a bit of time. |
 Electrical spaghetti as described by Steve Lange, Asst Airport Manager. Thinking of the recent restroom remodel he said "this is like the restroom remodel on steroids!" |
 Trailer invades picnic area The picnic area is sharing space with construction central for now. It's still a great spot for lunch al fresco and watching the airfields. |
September 2009 Construction includes making passenger access areas safe with the addition of fencing and reconfigured gates. In chronological order.
 Airport breezeway circa 2008 The area between the terminal and screening area will be enclosed. A large glass wall & door will open to the patio. |
 Bye bye funky baggage slide It's already gone. Well, not gone, but moved. The remodeled terminal will have a new baggage system. (8/28/09) |
 Under construction The former home of the baggage slide is now a construction zone. Rumors that the Red Baron's goggles were found here are simply untrue. 9/3 |
 Temporary access to Security Screening This temporary entrance will go away when the terminal is done. Access to Security will then be indoors. 9/12 |
 The deck is gone The former entrance to the Security Building has been removed to prepare for the expanded terminal and breezeway enclosure. |
 Meet me for lunch on the patio The Sky Lounge Restaurant is open for business, affording a pilot's eye view of terminal improvements. |
 Here comes Horizon! The nonstop schedule to and from LAS, LAX, PDF and SEA is unchanged. It's business as usual during the remodel. 9/15 |
 Horizon's A La Carte baggage pick-up is a handy way to travel. Stow your bags as you board and pick them up plane-side when you arrive. |
 Safety is our priority Checked bags are retrieved in a temporary baggage claim area. Construction halts and staff is on hand while passengers get through safely. |
 A tent is coming! Open air baggage retrieval is great in summer, but a tent will soon be in place to protect people from the elements when winter comes. |
 The breezeway is gone! Only the cement slab remains. The remodeled terminal will join these two buildings, adding 5,000 square feet. 9/18 |
 Down to the dirt. The cement has been removed and the soil underneath revealed. It does't look too pretty but this part is fenced off. 9/22 |
 The baggage tent has been installed and is now in action shading travelers. See it back there? The area at front will be enclosed to enlarge the terminal. |
 What a relief! That's Rambeau exploring the new Pet Relief Area in front of the terminal. It's not part of the remodel, just a pretty picture for a change of scenery. |
 New concrete has been poured in front of the Sky Lounge Restaurant windows where a huge planter used to be. The concrete is temporary, it will be replaced later. 9/25 |
 The temporary baggage tent is next to the patio and arrival areas. The tower can be seen in the background to the east, construction staging is to the north. |
The success of Horizon Air gave clear indication that our 60s era terminal was out of date and much too small for current needs. Although we'd really like to build a sparkling new terminal, those plans are on hold for now. In the meantime, the Terminal Remodel will add needed space that better provides for passenger safety and comfort.
The remodel includes the addition of almost 5,000 square feet to the existing terminal, expanding the terminal by one third.
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This rendering depicts the new security screening area to the left and new baggage carousel to the right. |
The plans call for:
• Relocation of the screening checkpoint
• Expansion of the passenger waiting areas
• Addition of two new restrooms
• A new baggage system
• A new baggage processing room
• Doubling the size of the ticket counters
• Relocation of the rental car counters
• More room overall for passenger comfort
The exterior front of the building and the restaurant will remain the same; the remodel will connect the existing terminal and security building to make one large building. The south facing side of the remodeled terminal is designed as a large glass wall overlooking the restaurant patio area. The new glass wall will open to allow fresh air into the terminal.
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Looking south through the glass wall with access to the patio. The windows of Sky Lounge Restaurant are seen through the glass. The restaurant will remain open, with its great view of the airfields. |
Funding the Remodel - American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
Sonoma County Airport received $1,685,000 in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds to remodel and expand the passenger terminal. The total budget for the project is $1,757,000; the difference between the grant and total project cost will be funded by the Airport with Passenger Facility Charge (PFC) funds.
The construction contract was awarded to Murray Building, Inc. of Sonoma in the amount of $1,582,709 for the base project. An alternate item to include a baggage carousel has been approved and will be added to the remodel. The costs over the award amount include permitting, architectural fees, and construction administration. The Santa Rosa office of Mead Hunt, an architectural and engineering firm, designed the remodel.
Future air service plans include the addition of San Diego to the flight schedule. Anticipated start date for that route is anticipated to be in 2010. The Airport would also like to add an eastern hub to the schedule like Salt Lake City, Denver, or Phoenix, and increased frequency to Seattle (two times a day) and Los Angeles (three times a day).
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