AvPORTS selected to run heliport.

New York City Economic Development Corporation president Andrew M. Alper announced that AvPORTS was selected as the long-term operator of the city-owned heliport at East 34th Street. AvPORTS proposes to operate the facility for 10 years and invest $2.2 million in capital improvements, including $350,000 dedicated to amenities for the community such as sound and blast-proof fencing, a bike path and a pedestrian walkway. AvPORTS has been operating the heliport on a short-term permit since 1997.

"The East 34th Street Heliport provides an important and convenient transportation option into and out of Midtown Manhattan for tens of thousands of business travelers each year," said Alper. "I am pleased this designation will allow AvPORTS to continue operating the heliport and make needed capital improvements to the facility. In addition, the company presented the City with a concept that provides its neighboring communities with attractive amenities. The proposed bike path and walkway will add another link to Mayor Bloomberg's proposed Greenway to encircle all of Manhattan."

AvPORTS was selected to operate the heliport as a result of a Request for Proposals issued by NYCEDC in November 2002. Of the proposals received, AvPORTS offered the greatest return to the city: $600,000 guaranteed annually plus a revenue participation program that will enable the city to earn additional revenue if the facility generates gross revenues in excess of a specified amount. The company's proposal also called for the largest capital investment program for the facility.

In addition, the proposal featured a compelling architectural design for a new terminal building by the award-winning architecture firm Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum; engineering support by Edwards and Kelcey; attractive landscaping details from Donna Walcavage Landscape Architecture and Urban Design; and specially designed lighting improvements by Leni Schwendinger, Light Projects.

"We are absolutely delighted at the opportunity to continue working with NYCEDC, the community, and our customers to complete transformation of the East 34th Street Heliport into a world-class facility and operation," said AvPORTS chief operating officer Oswin Moore.

The East 34th Street Heliport is located on the East River just south of the intersection of East 34th Street and the FDR Drive service road. It consists of a 40,400-SF concrete wharf (currently with a landing ramp), office and lobby space in temporary buildings, and a fuel filling station. The heliport is about six nautical miles from LaGuardia Airport and 10 miles from both John F. Kennedy International and Newark Liberty International Airports. The heliport averages more than 20,000 take-offs and landings a year.

Because of the heliport's location in a densely populated area, there are special restrictions on its operations, such as hours of operation and overall limits on the number of take-offs and landings. By adhering to these restrictions, AvPORTS is expected to continue to be a good neighbor to its host community. The restrictions are based on guidelines in the city's Heliport Master Plan developed by NYCEDC.

AvPORTS has a strong safety record in its operation of the 34th Street Heliport and its other aviation facilities. Before it began operating the 34th Street Heliport in 1997, it managed the former East 60th Street Heliport. AvPORTS is the manager of five FAA-certified airports: Teterboro, Westchester County, Atlantic City, Tweed New Haven, and Republic Airport in Long Island. It also operates aviation facilities in Wilmington, Delaware; Louisville, Kentucky; Gulfport-Biloxi, Mississippi; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Burlington, Vermont. AvPORTS is the operating name for Macquarie Aviation North America, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Macquarie Global Infrastructure Fund, which specializes in infrastructure, aviation and related asset investments, and is managed by. the Macquarie Bank Group. The Heliport Master Plan, issued in 1999, followed the Federal Aviation Administration's guidelines and evaluated the City's heliports to make recommendations on policy initiatives to achieve a balance between helicopte r efficiency, safety requirements and quality of lire concerns of local communities.