June 29, 2005

Report expected next year

Toronto firm studying Croatian airport upgrade

By Patricia Williams

staff writer

Upgrading airport facilities to serve the Croatian capital of Zagreb is on the radar for SCOTT Associates Architects Inc.

The architectural firm which designed Terminal 3 at Toronto’s Lester B. Pearson International Airport, said the redevelopment envisages initial construction of a new passenger terminal building and apron.

Down the road, the development could include expansion of that building and construction of a new runway.

A study is being funded by the Canadian International Development Agency’s industrial co-operation program and Croatia’s Ministry of the Sea, Tourism, Transport and Development.

The airport is “a key piece” of Croatia’s infrastructure, said Toronto-based Darija Kovacevic Scott, managing principal of SCOTT’s Canadian operations and leader of the Zagreb study team.

Upgrading the country’s air transportation system has been identified as a priority in terms of promoting economic growth and foreign investment, she said.

Scott, whose firm previously oversaw a $5 million renovation and expansion at Croatia’s Zadar International Airport, said the existing terminal building at Zagreb is outmoded “and not in the best location to facilitate the optimal future build-out at the airport.”

The existing, Soviet-era building was constructed in 1966 and later expanded in 1974. Only minor modifications have been made since then, Scott said.

Preliminary estimates show a new terminal building could cost up to $323 million (Cdn).

However, that figure is to be refined during the course of the study.

SCOTT will submit its final report in October 2006.

The firm has a staff of 10 working on various stages of the study, among them a design architect, architectural technologist and cost/financial analyst. SCOTT is working closely with the Zagreb Airport’s architectural and engineering contingent.

Established in 1987, SCOTT Associates offers a full range of airport planning and design services from feasibility studies and master planning to full design of specialized facilities such as terminal buildings.

The firm has completed planning and feasibility studies at more than 25 airports in 15 countries.

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