$1.73 Billion West Gates Expansion To LAX's Tom Bradley International Terminal Opens To the Public
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Travelers getting ready to take to the international skies again will find a large, new and completely modernized expansion of LAX's international terminal.
The $1.73 billion West Gates building is directly next to the Tom Bradley International Terminal and is capable of serving up to 15 aircraft for both international and domestic flights. The five-level, 750,000-square foot facility features passenger-friendly technology, stunning architecture, and biometric boarding gates.
Mayor Eric Garcetti, Councilman Mike Bonin, and other city officials were on hand for the grand opening event on Monday.
"As people come back, I'm sure you've all had this experience too, people are saying, 'wow. I can't believe how good LAX looks,'" Garcetti said. "We've essentially built a new airport while we were running one of the busiest airports in the world."
The West Gates at Tom Bradley features an ocean wave-inspired design with nearly 60,000 square feet of lounge space, and includes two nursing rooms, a service-animal relief area, a quiet room, three children's play areas, and space for live performances and art exhibits. The facility is outfitted with WiFi 6, the latest generation of wireless internet that will also support contactless food ordering on LAXOrderNow.com. The building will also be able to accommodate 5G speeds when carriers begin to turn it on later this year.
Even with all its new tech, the West Gates facility is on track to achieve LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building council. Its roof is made of materials that reduce heat absorption, the building reduces electricity consumption through a combination of daylighting, insulated glass, efficient HVAC and smart interior lighting; and it was designed to reduce water consumption by 41% thanks to water-saving plumbing.
The West Gates facility is part of the city's nearly $15 billion modernization of LAX.
