Thread: Old MSY Terminal. What to do?

As the New Orleans airport gets ready to move into an entirely new $1 billion airport terminal in May 2019, one big question remains: What happens to the old airport facility?
The New Orleans Aviation Board kicked off the public discussion about the future of the old terminal at its Thursday (Nov. 15) meeting, after listening to a presentation from a consultant hired to help with the process. It will be months, possibly a year or more, before any final decisions are made about what to do with the old facility.
The early takeaways? Large parts of the current airport terminal, including the long-dormant Concourse A and aging Concourse B, currently dedicated to Southwest Airlines, would be costly and complicated to rehab for a new use, said Hugh Murphy, executive vice president of Jones Lang LaSalle, the hired consultant. Concourses C and D are in better shape, but would pose similar obstacles, he added. Parts of the terminal could be folded into new plans, but demolition appears to be the likely fate for the concourses.
Murphy and airport officials also agreed the airport should retain ownership of all its properties and take its time before deciding what to do with any unused space. The redevelopment process could last 40 years, maybe longer, Roger Ogden, a local real estate developer and aviation board member, pointed out.