South Suburban Airport Draws Interested Bidders

SNC-Lavalin/LCOR Competing With Washington Group International

Two potential development groups today submitted qualifications to build and finance the South Suburban Airport through an innovative public-private partnership, Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. announced today.

"These bidders have built major airports across North America and around the world. Their interest in this public-private partnership lends a lot of credibility to the concept we are promoting," Jackson said.

"Our innovative plan would finance the airport through private funds -- at no cost or risk to taxpayers or the airlines. This first-of-its-kind airport in the United States is designed to attract low-cost carriers to the south suburban market and create 15,000 permanent jobs by 2008."

Jackson added: "After 15 years of talk, this is the first time we have bonafide companies saying they are interested in investing in the South Suburban Airport."

One bid was submitted by a consortium of SNC-Lavalin Inc. of Canada and LCOR Inc. of New York. SNC-Lavalin, a global development firm with offices in 30 countries, is the owner-developer-operator of Vatry Airport in Paris; the Vancouver International Airport in British Columbia, Canada; and the Malta International Airport in the Mediterranean Sea. Its partner, LCOR, built and manages the $1.4 billion International Terminal in New York’s Kennedy Airport.

The second bidder was Washington Group International. Based in Boise and Boston,

Washington Group is a construction management company that specializes in airports. It built and manages Denver International and Newark, N.J. International Airports, among others.

Al McCowan, chairman of the South Suburban Airport Commission, said: "These are global players in the airport industry. We are excited about their participation in this project. The South Suburban Airport has never been closer to reality than it is today. We soon expect to present to the governor a $400 million economic development package that will cost the taxpayers nothing." McCowan is mayor of University Park, one of 31 communities comprising the SSAC.