attempted before, not at this scale,” Vince Granato, chief projects officer for the Port of Portland, operator of the airport, tells Oregon Business. The terminal expansion is split into two phases, with many of the eye-popping and traveler-friendly features included in Phase I. For years the project team eyed a May 2024 completion deadline for the first phase, but following a series of safety incidents in late winter, the Port of Portland announced Phase I completion had been pushed back to August. The overall TCORE project is now expected to wrap in late 2025. To visualize the space that’s supposed to open in late summer, imagine the PDX terminal as a rectangle with a wide “T” overlaid. The “T” itself is the Phase I construction zone, closed to the public since 2021. The two lower chunks of negative space on either side of the “T,” used heavily by passengers in the current airport layout, will be closed and remodeled in the second phase. Now, as Phase I winds down, the Port of Portland has been keen to show off, hosting government officials, media and building- industry personnel on regular hardhat tours. After four years as a construction site, the current — temporary — layout might have become normal to regular airport-goers. They might catch a glimpse of the new roof as they touch down, but much about the terminal project remains hidden from view of the traveling public. It’s one reason many are stunned when they first see it. “Everyone says the same thing when they come here,” says Port spokeswoman Allison Ferré, a frequent tour guide. “Wow.” Vince Granato, chief projects officer for the Port of Portland Airline check-in counters and a baggage conveyor can be seen at left. The ticket counters and construction barriers at PDX 35
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