Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock — wearing his favorite sneakers and gripping a giant mallet — took a swing at a giant stake that previously helped hold 817,000 pounds of tension from Denver International Airport’s tent roof, officially clearing the way for construction on the South Terminal Redevelopment Program.
The ceremonial release marks the last major obstacle the project’s engineering team had to overcome. Two weight-bearing tension cables were located exactly where the new project will be built, so engineers created temporary tent towers to hold the airport’s fiberglass roof in place during construction.
“Now that the tension is relieved, everyone can start clearing the area,” said Stu Williams, DIA program manager for the South Terminal Redevelopment Program.
All of the tent cables, previously buried 60 feet underground, bore the vertical force caused by the tension and compression system that is used to support the airport’s iconic white roof.
“It’s an incredibly elegant design for it to be able to serve multiple functions,” Williams said. “The tower pulls it down while also holding it up.”
The event was attended by all the project’s major players — from city and airport officials to the design, construction and contracting teams. The new terminal plans include a Westin hotel and a light-rail station, which are accompanied by some hefty economic impact projections.
Hancock said that the hotel will add about $2 million in annual revenue to Denver’s general fund. The program is predicted to create 600-700 construction and design jobs in the next three to four years, as well as an additional 200 permanent jobs at the hotel.
“The tower to the left of me symbolizes one of the first milestones on this project,” Hancock said.
The construction timeline begins immediately, starting with excavation in October, and the foundational work beginning in early November. The structural work will be visible by early 2013, and by early Jan. 2014 the station is scheduled to be complete.
The entire project is expected to be done by 2015.
Kristen Leigh Painter: 303-954-1638, kpainter@denverpost.com or
