When you leave your laptop or tablet at an airport’s TSA checkpoint, you might realize it when an announcement comes over the public address system asking that the passenger who left it come claim it.
The Jacksonville Aviation Authority is preparing to add a public paging system and other controls to the new Concourse B under construction at the airport at 2400 Yankee Clipper Drive in North Jacksonville.
The city issued a permit Feb. 24 for Birdi Systems Inc. in Jacksonville to furnish and install a system at a project cost of $8 million. Birdi, based in Los Angeles with offices that include Philips Highway, provides security systems and safety measures at airports.
The permit says the project will furnish and install access control, closed-circuit TV and paging systems to include infrastructure, devices and commissioning.
“It revolves around safety and security - access control is essentially how we access restricted parts of the airport. CCTV would be the camera system utilized in our airport operations center,” said Greg Willis, JAA marketing and public relations manager, in an email Feb. 24.
JAA CEO Mark VanLoh said during a Feb. 27 tour that Concourse B adds six gates, seven restaurants, two lounges, a children’s play area and a turfed pet care room.
Food and drink tenants include Cantina Louie Mexican Street Food, Chick-fil-A, Panda Express, Pura Bean Coffee Co., Salt & Tide seafood, V Pizza and Willie Jewell’s Barbecue.
A Delta Sky Club spanning 9,500 square feet and a Club JAX lounge at 5,500 square feet are being built on a mezzanine level that will overlook the food hall.
The $344 million concourse project is funded by the JAA along with grants from the Florida Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration.
The airport has one main terminal with two concourses totaling 20 gates, comprising 10 each for Concourse A and Concourse C.
The first Concourse B was demolished in 2009 after Concourses A and C were completed in 2008.