LaGuardia Gateway Partners (LGP), the private entity operating and redeveloping LaGuardia Airport’s Terminal B, has awarded retail contracts to Hudson Group and Marshall Retail Group and a new services contract to Spa Here. The locations are in the eastern concourse of the new terminal and are scheduled to open later this year.
The concourse will feature the latest New York City location and first airport concept for the legendary New York toy store FAO Schwarz, as well as offerings from SoHo based independent bookseller McNally Jackson, Hudson, LaGuardia Dufry Duty Free Shops, M∙A∙C, District Market and Spa Here.
Laguardia Gateway Partners says each offering takes inspiration from the New York experience. “The latest retail offerings in the new Terminal B promise a best in class visitor experience that both New Yorkers and travelers can be proud of,” said Ed Baklor, Chief Commercial Officer of LaGuardia Gateway Partners. “By listening to guest feedback and collaborating with our partners, we’ve created a unique environment you can only find at LaGuardia Terminal B, featuring the best of New York City.”
“We are thrilled to be working with Hudson Group to bring the brand’s wonder and innovation to the airport community,” says David Conn, CEO of ThreeSixty Group, the company that owns FAO. “The experiences that the brand can bring to those traveling through LaGuardia’s Terminal B will be unlike any other, and Hudson Group is the perfect partner to execute that theatre and excitement.”
In addition to FAO Schwartz, Hudson Group will open independent bookstore McNally Jackson, as well as the travel essentials store Hudson, LaGuardia Dufry Duty Free, and M∙A∙C.
“We are proud of our ‘Big Apple’ roots and we are thrilled to grow our longstanding partnership with such an amazing partner,” says Joseph DiDomizio, president and chief executive officer of Hudson Group. “The new contract highlights how diligently we work to ensure that airport concessions are evolving to meet the growing needs of travelers. This is especially true for LGA, as our competitive bid will bring the nation’s oldest and most iconic toy brand, FAO Schwarz, into airports for the first time at the city’s oldest commercial airport.”
The new Terminal B will also feature District Market, a custom designed shop including local “made in Queens” products through a partnership with the Queens Economic Development Council (QEDC). Marshall Retail Group will operate the store.
“Showcasing Made in Queens products at District Market … will be an opportunity for local manufacturers to bring their product to national markets,” says Sante Antonelli, director of business services for the Queens Economic Development Council. “It will also give visitors the chance to purchase truly unique items representing the best that Queens has to offer.”
Spa Here will offer spa treatments to travelers. “Like LaGuardia Gateway Partners, our focus is on guest experience,” says Marisol Binn, founder and CEO of Spa Here. “Spa Here will immerse Terminal B passengers in traditional spa therapies, convenience and luxury so they depart refreshed in the shortest possible time.”
The new Terminal B is set to open in phases beginning later this year with the first gates in the terminal’s easternmost concourse, featuring these new retail partners. These shops will join the recently announced Concourse B food and beverage partners: Shake Shack, Irving Farm Coffee Roasters, Osteria Fusco, La Chula Bar & Taqueria, Kingside Bar & Restaurant, and Five Boroughs Market. Overall, more than 50 new restaurants, shops and services will be available to guests as part of the terminal redevelopment and an even more robust offering of food and retail will arrive in the main part of the terminal and in the western concourse.
The $8 billion LaGuardia redevelopment project is a complex, multi-phased project requiring the construction of a new airport on top of an existing one while remaining fully operational. The project includes a new Terminal B; a new Terminal C – replacing the current Terminals C and D; an improved roadway system; new parking infrastructure and other associated projects. The $5.1 billion, 1.3-million square foot redevelopment of Terminal B is one of the largest public-private partnerships in American history and the largest in U.S. aviation. The new 35-gate Terminal B will replace the existing Central Terminal Building.
