Raleigh-Durham International Airport is getting a new storefront in Terminal 1 – one of numerous changes as the airport funnels millions into its ongoing revamp.
“Triangle Market,” a new concept out of Marshall Retail Group, will soon replace Travel Lab at the terminal. At Thursday's Airport Authority meeting, airport officials say to expect a local vibe – similar in many ways to Root & Branch in Terminal 2.
The store, located across Gate 5, gives travelers access to new gourmet foods, branded apparel and luggage.
Swapping out the concept, however, will be complicated. It will require three weeks and about $85,000 (to be paid for by Marshall). Marshall is considering a pop up shop to serve travelers in the interim, but that’s up in the air.
The store is just one change coming to Terminal 1 and – while it may be the most visible in the next few months, it’s hardly the most significant in the next year. The airport is in the process of revamping gates A1 through A4, and signed a $7 million contract Thursday to execute on construction, which includes a new baggage structure to the south. Two of the gates will add in new jet bridges to serve travelers. The revamp and gate additions is necessary because the terminal, which serves Southwest exclusively today, will soon add in other low-case airlines such as Allegiant and Frontier.
And it’s just in the nick of time for another one of RDU’s ongoing projects. Three years ago, RDU initiated a program to change the signage at the airport. Initially, the sign in front of Terminal 2 had ten slots. With so many new airlines coming on board, airline officials had to increase the size to 12 slots. As of today, they just have two slots left. Airport COO Bill Sandifer says the budget carriers’ switch to Terminal 1 will allow room for more carriers.
“We’re not going to limit our recruitment efforts based on the sign,” CEO Mike Landguth clarifies.
But even with the plans already in place, the price tag is going up.
Thursday, the airport approved a $2.5 million budget increase, associated with the Terminal 1 buildout.
Officials say they're working against a clock when it comes to their revamp, as traffic continues to increase - creating more demand for infrastructure improvements.
In March, more than 553,000 travelers were served by the airport, a "record," says Landguth.