Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock and DIA Celebrate Midpoint of Hotel and Public Transit Center Program

Hotel on track for 2015 Opening

DENVER, CO – Oct. 8, 2013 – Beneath the freshly welded steel of the intricate new 360-ton train platform canopy, Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock joined Manager of Aviation Kim Day on Tuesday to commemorate the midpoint of Denver International Airport’s (DIA) new Hotel and Transit Center Program by placing a 50-year time capsule. The capsule included items from Mayor Hancock, DIA employees, the state of Colorado, the Westin, the Regional Transportation District, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Transportation Security Administration, Customs and Border Protection, Hotel and Transit Center workers, the Denver Chamber of Commerce, Visit Denver and several airlines including British Airways, Frontier, Icelandair, JetBlue, Lufthansa, Southwest and United. The capsule will remain buried beneath the new transit center floor until at least 2063.

Two years into construction, workers on the Hotel and Transit Center Program have completed the hotel’s two elevator cores and train platform, completely reconstructed the elevated roadways leading to Terminal West, finished installation of the steel for the train platform canopy, poured concrete for the first four floors of the building and are beginning installation work for the public plaza canopy. Construction on the site began in late 2011 and the hotel is on track to open in fall 2015 with the new Regional Transportation District commuter rail line beginning service in 2016. The Hotel and Transit Center program will employ 600 to 700 people during construction. Currently, 260 firms have secured contracts to work on the program, including 227 local firms (87%) and 107 minority-and women-owned businesses (M/WBE) (41%).

“With more than 100 minority- and women-owned businesses under contract, DIA’s Hotel and Transit Center Program is one of the single largest opportunities for the M/WBE community in the city’s history,” said Mayor Hancock. “It’s one of the many ways DIA contributes to the overall vitality of Colorado’s economic health. As the primary economic engine for the state, DIA provides a critical link for businesses and travelers.”

Manager of Aviation Kim Day added, “As we celebrate reaching the midpoint of the Hotel and Transit Center program today, we want to recognize the vision and hard work it took to reach this point. We want to take this opportunity to thank all the people making this vital and exciting concept a reality, including Denver Mayors Federico Peña, Wellington Webb, John Hickenlooper, Guillermo “Bill” Vidal and Michael Hancock, the hardworking employees and contractors, our supportive business partners and other elected leaders. To mark this occasion, we are burying a time capsule, which we hope will show those who unearth it, the foresight and the thoughtfulness of our community as we prepare this airport for those who will follow us.”

A complete listing of items included in the time capsule is attached to this release and will be posted on www.flydenver.com.

The Hotel and Public Transit Center Program, originally referred to as the South Terminal Redevelopment Program, will complete the original vision for the airport and is the first investment in DIA’s Airport City initiative. The $544 million program includes the construction of a 519-room Westin hotel and conference center, a new public transit center serving the Regional Transportation District’s (RTD) new East Rail Line which will connect DIA to downtown Denver’s Union Station in approximately 35 minutes, and a public plaza which will be Denver’s newest venue for arts, entertainment and relaxation.

The hotel will be owned by DIA and operated by Westin and is on schedule to open in the fall of 2015. The hotel includes a transit center and train platform to serve the Regional Transportation District’s East Rail Line which is scheduled to begin operations between DIA and downtown Denver’s Union Station in 2016.

Denver International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the world. DEN is the primary economic engine for the state of Colorado, generating more than $36 billion for the region annually. For more information visit www.FlyDenver.com, check us out on YouTube and Instagram, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Sign up for DEN’s monthly newsletter Nonstop News.

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