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Syracuse Hancock International Airport is set to undergo a significant transformation with plans for a 46-acre commercial district. The Syracuse Regional Airport Authority aims to develop up to 14 buildings, including hotels, restaurants, and a gas station, on the north side of the airport's entrance road, Col. Eileen Collins Boulevard. The airport lost its only hotel in 2020, and this project seeks to fill that gap.
The airport authority plans to partner with private developers who will finance, build, and operate these businesses under long-term leases. Revenue from these leases will support the airport's operations. However, the project requires approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to use the property for non-aeronautical purposes. Once approved, the authority will begin issuing requests for proposals from developers, with the first for a gas station and convenience store potentially opening in 2027.
According to Jason Mehl, the airport's chief commercial officer, the development will include three hotels, a bank drive-thru, a pharmacy drive-thru, fast-food restaurants, and a drive-thru coffee shop. The first hotel is expected to have about 150 rooms.
The demand for a hotel at the airport has increased due to recent air service trends, with Syracuse benefiting from airline consolidations. Travelers from regions as far as the Canadian and Pennsylvania borders often leave home early to catch flights, making an on-site hotel a convenient option.
The development is expected to take years, influenced by factors like interest rates and construction costs. Meanwhile, the airport is also constructing a consolidated rental car facility and planning a new cargo facility to accommodate increased cargo traffic once Micron Technology builds its semiconductor plant in nearby Clay.