Relaxing in a $4 Million Lounge Under the Dulles Control Tower Could Become a Reality
AvGeeks could one day get a new vantage point for plane spotting from the observation deck of the historic control tower at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) -- if the right developer comes along.
Under a new proposal outlined in a recent report from the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority (MWAA), the airport authority is looking for a company to turn the under-utilized space beneath the control tower at Dulles into a lounge with access to the historic tower's observation deck, as reported by View from the Wing.
Creation of the lounge would require around a $4-million investment from whichever group decides to take over the space, which is 9,100 square feet -- on the small side for most airport lounges. The price tag is a whopping $440 per square foot. The report says the space must be fully renovated before it can be occupied, including installation of new utilities, heating, ventilation and air conditioning.
A glimpse at the what it would cost to build the lounge offers a little insight into why frequent flyers — who don't have a credit card that includes lounge access — pay such high annual fees for lounge access: The airport is offering the space for lease and expects a minimum annual guarantee of $925,000 for the first year, increasing by 3% each year of the 10-year lease. This means rent on the space will be pushing a minimum of $1.25 million after the first decade. This minimum is met by the airport being paid 10% of the gross lounge receipts, meaning the cost for the space could be much higher.
It's unknown if any company is willing to make the investment to renovate the rather small space. Construction will also be subject to approval by the Virginia Historical Society, due to the historic nature of the structure itself, adding yet another complication to the project. For now, it's wait and see if anyone is going to jump at the chance to offer this unique space to the traveling public. As Dulles could really use another lounge, whether it be an Amex Centurion Lounge or something offered by Priority Pass, we're hoping someone is willing to take on the project.
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Featured Photo by Getty Images.
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The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month