Zach Griff at The Points Guy noticed that the Port Authority of New York New Jersey is scheduled to consider an agreement for an American Express Centurion lounge at Newark airport this Thursday.

• American Express would construct a roughly 50,000-square-foot three floor expansion building adjacent to the New Terminal A building. The first two floors would be subleased back to the Port Authority for other uses, such as concessions (22,000 feet “for subletting by the Port Authority and the remaining 10,000 square feet would be required to support the operation of the NTA Expansion” including core/circulation and support space).

• It would include an 18,000 square foot lounge on the third floor of the three level building.

• The lease would commence January 1, 2022 for a 15 year term with a 5 year option to extend.

• The lounge can be expected to open around August 1, 2023 – since rent payments commence on the earlier of that date or lounge opening.

Centurion Lounge Charlotte Bar

Total rent payments total $121.5 million over the 15 year lease plus a percentage of gross revenue (though there aren’t generally sales associated with Amex lounges) and construction of the building is estimated at $100 million (only one floor of which will be the lounge).

Amenities are expected to include,

• a “viewing terrace overlooking the EWR airfield, Port of Newark, New York and Newark Harbor, and the Manhattan skyline”

• “multiple signature Amex food and bar areas”

• “a piano lounge” as well as “a Jersey jazz-themed bar” and “a speakeasy-themed backstage cocktail lounge.”

• “wellness rooms, workstations and world-class restroom facilities.”

Unless there are significant challenges or revelations over the next few days this should be approved.

The new terminal A will initially be home to 12 United Airlines gates, where narrowbody operations are supposed to commence next year. The remaining gates will be assigned to “Air Canada, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and JetBlue and United.”