No one doubts the thousands of jobs created by the expansion of Lindbergh. You could see the workers there daily, demolishing, grading, pouring, building, planting and polishing. Kiewit Pacific handled the roadways, including the sweeping bridge that finally introduces arriving passengers to a spectacular view of the Downtown skyline in a way that the old Harbor Drive missed. Douglas E. Barnhart Inc. served as general contractor on the terminal portion. They poured 31,000 cubic yards of concrete, erected 4,700 tons of steels, creating 297,000 square feet of building space that will be occupied by a growing number of airline employees, concessionaires, security and sanitation personnel and travelers.
Someone ought to publish the names of every single person who worked on the project.
Despite their hard work, the newly expanded airport may reach capacity again in 10 years. While businessman Malin Burnham negotiates with the mayor to establish a joint powers authority to plan, develop and possibly operate a much larger airport elsewhere in San Diego, the Port District has employed consultants and commissioned two advisory panels, one composed of technical experts and the other comprising citizens from all walks, to develop a master plan in the event an alternative to Lindbergh Field is not identified and Lindbergh must be expanded again. The committees began meeting monthly in November. Their next meetings are scheduled Jan. 15 at the Seaport Village Coral Reef Restaurant, the technical committee starting at 9 a.m. and the citizens' committee at 6 p.m. Among 92101's cheapest public financing efforts that may reach fruition in 1998 is a new marketing approach beyond the Centre City Development Corp.'s primary mission to eliminate blight in the inner city, restore buildings when possible, condemn them if necessary, assemble land and turn it over to developers who will create attractive, productive environments. That's how millions of square feet of space were built in the last 21 years, from Horton Plaza to One America Plaza to the Harbor Club.