APPLETON, Wis. (WFRV) – The Appleton International Airport expansion project is nearing the first phase of completion, just in time for the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay.
On Tuesday morning, Local 5 was invited to tour the concourse to take a look at some of the progress that construction workers have made during the $66-million expansion project, which also includes new restaurants in the concourse.
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Miron Construction Director of Sustainable Services Theresa Lehman was on site to discuss the enhancement of the facility while minimizing the negative impact on the environment.
“Appleton International Airport is one of a few airports in the entire country seeking LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certfication, a third-party green building rating system,” Lehman said. “They have a sustainability master plan, and part of it is working to meet sustainable goals for a long time.”
Lehman added that those efforts started when the airport did the ‘Platinum Flight Center.’ Plus, the short term parking lot has ‘Carports’ covered with solar panels to generate energy.
Outagamie County Executive Thomas Nelson said that they kept the future in mind while developing the plans for this expansion, as far as 10 years. Nelson emphasized the economic impact of the airport as well.
“This airport has affected everyone in our community because it is an economic development machine which supports 3,000 jobs and generates about $700 million in economic activity annually,” Nelson said. “That’s one of the reasons when we mark these milestones, this has everything to do with the leadership of [Executive Director] Abe Weber and the entire staff here.”
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The full project is set to add about 47,000 square feet, and will more than double the size of the facility. It is set for phased completion, with phase one completed in time for the NFL Draft.
This phase will add about three additional gates to the airport plus, passengers who depart from the airport on Saturday, April 26, and Sunday, April 27, will get a tailgate party to celebrate their time at the Draft before passing security.
