Among other changes, plans for hotel on Anchorage airport property moving forward

If you're needing to spend the night and want to stay on airport grounds without camping out on a row of chairs, you may be in luck.

In the midst of various alterations on airport property, including the

visitors to Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport will likely be seeing an even larger change in the near future: A hotel just a stone's throw away from the main terminal.

"We do plan to build a hotel on the airport (grounds)," said Tom Hubble, Leasing Manager for the airport, noting that multiple applications have been submitted for the expansion. "It's a very exciting time for the airport, because this is the next step in our evolution to provide superior passenger service."

Hubble said that in 2005, there was a study at the airport to see if it was feasible to put a hotel on airport property. There was interest, at least until 2008 or so.

"That (financial crisis) put a damper on the interest in building a hotel," he said. "The economic climate, for us, makes for a very good time to put up a hotel. The state budget and airport budget are two different lines."

But now, that interest is back.

A proposed lease lot for the possible future hotel location on airport property is located just north of the Air Traffic Control Tower, across the street from the connector that goes between the South and North Terminals. There's also a spot between one of the parking lots and another airport building, just across from the main terminal.

An

from the State of Alaska, published in February, shows the lot is approximately 80,600 square feet in size. The lease could be for up to 55 years, pending Federal Aviation Administration approval.

Hubble said there are four official applications at this point. There was a required 30-day comment period following the posting of the public notice. Next is a developed package that would be put up for bid, which Hubble said he hopes to have out by early fall. Anyone, including all the major hotel chains, would be able to bid at that point.

"Ultimately, we want a bidder under contract by 2018, and to start construction sometime next year," he said. "Customers have a certain expectation when they come to the airport, they want to have a nice place to eat, maybe have a drink before they get on the airplane.

"It's very important to us, and it's a big revenue driver for the airport," he said.

The hotel would be operating to accommodate airline crew and passengers, as well as visitors, employees and concessionaires, according to the release. Hubble said the airport itself is pretty much self-sufficient in raising funds to pay for maintenance and employees within the facility. The hotel would be paid for and managed by hotel owners, with the space leased out by the airport.

"This is really a big step for us," Hubble said. "We're going to start competing with the big boys."

Hubble said land-side concessions to support the hotel are also in the works. For example, in addition to a new Pork and Pickle restaurant, the airport's Norton Sound restaurant is also expanding by several hundred feet. Sushi on the Fly and a kiosk bar in the C terminal were recently opened, as well as the Sleeping Lady Lounge within the art mezzanine, where a big screen television and theater seating are set up for sporting events and other types of gatherings.

"We've really expanded our concessions quite a bit in the last year and a half," Hubble said. "All of that will help accommodate the additional customers we're going to have as part of the hotel."