Every great landmark starts with a vision. Hensel Phelps brings the vision of its clients to life with a comprehensive approach that begins with innovative planning and extends throughout the entire life of the property. The firm’s expert development, construction, and facility services teams ensure that every project meets its clients’ goals and objectives. In July, the Hensel Phelps and Fentress Architects Progressive Design-Build team celebrated the successful opening of the new $292 million, 302,400-square-foot Concourse D and Terminal Wings Expansion project at Nashville International Airport.

Due to the unprecedented growth of the region, the Nashville International Airport (BNA) embarked on an aggressive seven-year plan to rapidly expand the airport’s capacity, while maintaining day-to-day operations. The Concourse D and Terminal Wings Expansion Project is a major project of the program, dubbed “BNA Vision”. The 115,000-square-foot Concourse D features six domestic aircraft gates, public art, and a variety of traveler amenities for passengers to enjoy. In addition to the new concourse, the project expanded the airport’s Ticketing Lobby and Baggage Claim by adding 200,000 square feet of space to the north and south ends of the terminal.

Other components of the project include remodeling 136,000 square feet of existing terminal space and the construction of a 11,000-square-foot Central Utility Plant. As the new structures came online through the complex phasing of construction required at an active high-volume airport, the Hensel Phelps team successfully orchestrated the relocation of every airline’s ticketing operation and TSA security screening without interrupting a single flight.

“This is an extraordinary accomplishment,” notes Scott Shelby, Operations Manager for Hensel Phelps. “Concourse D was BNA’s first progressive design-build project in their Vision Program. The complexity and speed of a project of this scale at one of the fastest growing airports required a true partnership between the BNA Staff, the Hensel Phelps Design-Build Team, our local trade partners, and Small, Minority, and Woman-Owned Business Enterprise firms. To be able to progress from the start of design 900 days ago to today and deliver to Nashville this expansion of world class quality while maintaining an outstanding safety record is extremely gratifying.”

The relocation of ticketing and TSA sets the stage for the third project of The BNA Vision, the $330 million, 780,000-square-foot BNA Terminal Lobby and International Arrivals Facility, which was awarded to Hensel Phelps in November 2018. The BNA Vision encompasses $1.4 billion of concurrent projects executed by four prime contractors. Each project is design-build and requires weekly program coordination meetings between the prime contractors and BNA to ensure that construction, site utilization, and utility shut-down and start-up activities are sequenced accordingly to not disrupt airport operations and each project's schedule.

Hensel Phelps was founded in Greeley, Colorado, in June 1937 by Abel Hensel Phelps. Operations initially were limited to home building and remodeling, after which competitive contract work was undertaken on a limited scale. Since then the firm has expanded across the United States while retaining its headquarters in Greely. The firm opened its office at Hacienda in 2019.

For more information about Hensel Phelps, please visit www.henselphelps.com.