JFK International Airport’s new
specialized animal handling facility
– Th e Ark – is ramping up its preoperational
business phase, with staff
identification, employment and training,
as well as additional outreach to clients,
end-users and other stakeholders.
Earlier this year, after executing
a 32-year lease agreement with the
Port Authority of New York and New
Jersey, ARK Development took over
Cargo Building 78, performed selective
demolition and began construction of
Th e ARK at JFK, a US$48-million, 14.4
acre (5.8 hectare), state-of-the-art animal
handling and intelligent air cargo facility.
The facility will handle more than
70,000 animals flying in and out of the
airport every year, from cats and dogs
to horses, cows, and even sloths and
aardvarks. Th e large animals will have their
own climate-controlled stalls, and cats and dogs will occupy hotel suites featuring fl atscreen
TVs, bone-shaped splashing pools
and spa services.
“Redeveloping cargo infrastructure and
growing the cargo pie at New York and
New Jersey’s airports is vital to supporting
thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions
of dollars in economic activity for the
region,” said Port Authority executive
director Pat Foye. “ARK’s investment of $48
million into JFK will transform an airport
structure that has been vacant for nearly
10 years into a world-class specialty cargo
facility, and the agreement guarantees the
Port Authority more than $100 million
in revenue without any additional capital
investment.”
“We developed Th e Ark concept to
address the unmet needs for the import
and export of companion, sporting
and agricultural animals,” said ARK/
Racebrook chairman and CEO John J.
Cuticelli. “Th e ARK at JFK will set the
standard and be the flagship of what
will prove to be the turnkey solution to
animal cargo and handling at international
airports worldwide, for comprehensive
and integrated travel-related veterinary,
kenneling and quarantine services.”
The exterior design of The ARK
at JFK emphasises its family and petoriented
nature, with bright multi-colored
architectural and animal highlights on
the façade, two dog runs and relief areas,
benches and picnic tables for clients and
employees.
