Swinerton Lands New Project at Palm Springs Airport

After an eight-year hiatus following the successful completion of the Palm Springs Air Traffic Control Tower, Swinerton OCLA and our Self-Perform teams have partnered with Palm Springs local subcontractors and returned to the airport. Swinerton was awarded the $30-million Palm Springs Airport Ticketing Hall Renovation and Baggage Handling Upgrade project in the third quarter of 2019. To accommodate the airport’s high holiday travel season, Swinerton broke ground the beginning of 2020.

The project scope consists of a three-phase gut and rebuild of the existing ticketing hall and TSA screening room. The renovation focuses on increased circulation for three primary user groups—passengers, airline employees, and passenger-checked baggage. The reconfiguration of the ticketing hall results in a 5,000-square-foot addition of open space for passenger queuing and check-in featuring new ticket counters, flooring, ceilings, MEPs, and high-efficiency light fixtures to give the area an open aesthetic. Behind the scenes, the existing baggage handling system was demolished and a new, upgraded baggage handling system is being installed to help assist with the increase in passenger baggage at the airport.

One of the most challenging aspects of the project has been maintaining continuity of services to the rest of the airport during the demolishing and rebuilding portions of the project. The Swinerton team has leveraged the lessons learned from past projects at Los Angeles International Airport’s, Long Beach Airport, and John Wayne Airport to assemble detailed phasing plans that keep the client informed and the stakeholders happy.

In November 2020, the project team successfully turned over the first of three phases. Passengers traveling for the holiday weekend were greeted with a transformed ticketing hall.