By Jill Colvin
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
CITY HALL — JFK Airport is about to get a $1.2 billion makeover that will completely overhaul Terminal 4 and demolish Pan Am's old Terminal 3, officials announced Wednesday.
Construction is set to begin in September, with the updated terminals fully operational by 2013. Service during the transition will not be interrupted by the work, officials said.
The Delta Airlines project will both renovate and expand Terminal 4, adding more than 480,000 square feet and nine new international gates, as well as expanded baggage claim and customs areas. It will also include two new taxiways and a connector between Terminal 2 and Terminal 4.
Once Delta moves its operations, the dilapidated saucer-shaped Terminal 3, which was once the home of the defunct Pan American World Airways, will also be razed to make way for a jet parking lot.
At a press conference unveiling the plans Wednesday, Mayor Michael Bloomberg hailed the project as representing "a huge vote of confidence by Delta Airlines" in New York.
"Great cities have great airports, and this project will certainly bring more business to our city," he said.
The project, which was approved by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey last week, is expected to create about 10,000 new jobs.
Gov. David Paterson said he has been fighting for the expansion for more than a decade, and that the project is needed to keep the city thriving.
"This will be a welcome, dramatic resurgence in New York State and city's economy," he said. "All told, the commitment that Delta is making to New York, by 2014, will exceed $19 billion."
While some have rallied to try to save the iconic "Pan Am Worldport," officials said that, at this point, the building is beyond repair.
"It is not structurally sound enough to preserve it," Port Authority Executive Director Chris Ward said.
Dutch Minister of Transportation Minister Camiel Eurlings, who was also present at the announcement of the renovations, said that the city is in desperate need of a new face to welcome the world.
"In the Netherlands, we cherish your city very much. But arriving at your city was not always the most beautiful part," he said. "That's why we're here today."
The announcement comes as the city is expecting a record number of tourists this year.
Preliminary data released Wednesday shows that approximately 23.5 million people have visited the city in the first half of 2010, an 8.7 percent jump from last year.
That puts the city on track to hitting 47.5 million visitors this year — which would top the former highest total of 47 million in 2008.
The data also show that air traffic at the city's three major airports has jumped 1.2 percent from since last year.
The new deal also strengthens the city's ties to Delta, which serves as the official carrier of the New York Yankees, Mets, Nicks, Rangers and New York Liberty Basketball Team.
"They couldn’t make the playoffs without them," Paterson said of Delta, before adding in jest, "Many of them can't make the playoffs with them."
