BOISE, Idaho — The Boise Airport announced it will begin construction at the end of January on two new parking garages Wednesday as part of the BOI Airport Expansion Project.
There will be an additional parking garage for the public and a new employee parking garage, with construction expected to be wrapped up in 18 to 24 months.
According to Boise Airport's announcement, this is the first time the facility has expanded their close-in parking since 2013. The additional 755 parking stalls were expected to handle demand for 10 years, but the Boise Airport (BOI) said it has seen "unprecedented growth," as Boise's population climbs.
Passenger traffic at BOI grew 49% between 2014 and 2019, forcing the airport to increase parking capacity. During the pandemic, the Boise Airport said expansion plans paused as fewer people traveled, but 2021 saw a "strong passenger rebound."
"Both garages will comply with International Green Construction Code as adopted by the City of Boise," the Boise Airport said. "$56.2M in bond proceeds from the issuance of general airport revenue bonds will be used to fund construction of the public parking and employee parking garages. McAlvain Construction, a Boise-based contractor, has been awarded the contract."
The public parking garage will consist of five levels and a pedestrian bridge for easier access to the airport. According to BOI, the garage will be located east of the current parking garage with an expected capacity of 1,150 stalls.
The employee garage is expected to have 700 parking stalls and also plans to be a five-story facility. The Boise Airport said the garage will be located north of the airport along Wright Street.
Airport officials said the new employee garage "will provide parking for several staff members who work for rental car agencies, airlines, Transportation Security Administration, and retail outlets."
When construction kicks off at the end of this month, the Boise Airport said available close-in parking spots will decrease and passengers are encouraged to use the economy parking lot off W. Victory Road with a free shuttle service running every 15 minutes.
After completing construction on the new garages, the Boise Airport plans to continue its upgrades with a new rental car lobby and garage, expanded aircraft parking apron and a new concourse. According to the airport's announcement, the new concourse will initially have three gates, with the ability to expand to up to 12 gates.
"The concourse will also include restrooms, restaurants and retail stores," the Boise Airport said. "While the construction timeline is still tentative, the new concourse is expected to be complete in 2026."
Total costs for the BOI Upgrade Airport Expansion Project estimate between $200-$250 million, according to the airport. A picture of the new concourse is shown below, provided by the Boise Airport.
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