Domestic travellers who use Vancouver International Airport (YVR) will soon have new retail, food, beverage and business lounge options, Business in Vancouver has learned.
Suitcase-retailer Tumi, candy store Lick and women’s apparel seller Marshall Rousso are among the retailers that have been readying to open in a new three-storey building that connects Pier A with Pier B in YVR’s domestic terminal.
Those stores and several others are expected to be open on January 13, when the Vancouver Airport Authority (VAA) hosts its official launch of the connector building.
Vancouver Airport Authority (VAA) spokeswoman Jenny Duncan told BIV that a “soft opening” for the new building will take place January 8 but she would not elaborate.
Duncan confirmed that the new building’s four gates will not open January 8 but, rather, will open in the “near future.”
Regardless, travellers will soon be able to use Plaza Premium Lounge’s (PPL) slated business lounge. That lounge will be similar to lounges that airlines operate for VIP customers. The difference is that everyone will be eligible to pay to use PPL’s lounge.
“There’s a food court area that has three units,” Stantec interior designer and senior associate Janice Hicks told BIV. “There’s also a wine bar – VinoVolo – but that will not be open next week.”
Hicks, whose firm did the architecture and interior design for the new building, was at the new building January 6.
“It’s, I don’t know, 80% or 90% complete,” she said. “There will be additional work that has to be finished. There’s one of the food court units. They’ll put someone else in there at some point.”
VAA’s vice-president of engineering Don Ehrenholz said last May that he expected the building to be fully complete by mid-2015.
VAA launched a 10-year plan in 2011, when it committed to spend $1.8 billion on various upgrades to stay ahead of competition and improve the customer experience.
Its original estimate for the cost of the connector building was $210 million although no one at the VAA was available to confirm whether the building was on budget.
YVR’s airport improvement fee has helped fund the improvements.
The VAA raised that fee by $5 to $20 in May 2012, for travellers to destinations outside B.C. Those who travel within the province pay a $5 airport improvement fee.
