Pitkin County to seek community input on new airport terminal design

Pitkin County commissioners are anticipating heavy public involvement in the design process for the new terminal scheduled to be built as part of the Aspen-Pitkin County Airport modernization project.

The project, which Pitkin County commissioners heard updates on at a Thursday work session, is expected to begin construction in 2027. 

Design, however, will start between fall and winter. 

Commissioners discussed public participation in the process with county staff and Jacobsen Daniels, an aviation consultant company working on the Aspen airport project. Commissioners and Jacobson Daniels are hoping that by involving the community heavily in the project’s initial design phases, they can make something unique that reflects the character of the area. 

“I’m hoping we have some real visionaries and some inspirational things in (terminal design) that don’t make it look like your classic mountain vernacular,” said commissioner Greg Poschman. “If it looks like every other ski resort airport, is that a win?” 

Pitkin County Manager Jon Peacock responded by saying, “”I am quite certain our community will have more input into the design of this terminal than maybe any other terminal on the face of the earth.” 

The total cost of the modernization is projected to be $520 million, according to estimates brought by Jacobsen Daniels.

The terminal design is projected to cost just short of $14 million, with construction coming in short of $155 million, according to estimates.

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The public input process will be most intense through 30% of the design process, Peacock said.

“Because that’s where we are deciding on the concepts, what it’s going to look like, feel like, and such,” he said. “Once we’re getting into designing the dimensions of the cabinets and the doors and meeting code, there’s less value in community input.”