Demolition Work Begins For LaGuardia Airport Makeover
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Work began Friday on the long-awaited makeover for LaGuardia Airport.
Crews on Friday began tearing down the P2 parking lot – one of the first big steps in the $4 billion renovation project.
LaGuardia will eventually get a state-of-the-art new central terminal. The current central terminal dates back to the 1960s and is often fodder for jokes after a now infamous comment from Vice President Joe Biden in 2014.
"If I took you and blindfolded you and took you to LaGuardia Airport in New York, you must think, 'I must be in some third world country,'" he said. "I'm not joking."
The sleek, modern 1.3 million square foot state-of-the art facility will have 35 gates.
EXTRA: What LaGuardia Airport Makeover Will Look Like
Two-thirds of the project will be funded by private financing and passenger fees, officials said in June.
Airport officials say they expect the terminal to be fully operational during the project and said it should no impact any flights.
The renovation is expected to be completed sometime in 2022.