Portland International Jetport’s gleaming new $75 million terminal will officially open to passengers tomorrow morning, nearly 17 months after the project began.

The two-story 140,000-square-foot terminal boasts a dedicated food court, new shops, floor-to-ceiling windows and a sky bridge to an adjacent parking garage. It also has five new gates, an expanded waiting area and a geothermal heating and cooling system that city officials hope will bring a LEED Gold rating from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Speaking at a ribbon cutting event yesterday at the airport, U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree likened the new terminal building to world-class facilities in Singapore and Washington, D.C.

“The new terminal is not only going to make it easy to move more passengers quickly and efficiently through the airport, but also provides a beautiful gateway to visitors arriving in our state,” she said.

Mayor Nick Mavodones described the terminal as “absolutely breathtaking.” He predicted the larger space and new gates would attract hundreds of thousands of new passengers each year.

“The opportunity we have before us to increase these numbers and bring more people to Maine is undeniable,” Mavodones said, adding that about 1.8 million people use the Jetport each year.

Indeed, city officials say the expansion was driven by growing passenger volume and the likelihood that airlines will add more flights from Portland.

Beyond aesthetics and amenities, the new terminal also includes new safety upgrades that are designed to get passengers to their gate faster. An explosives-detection system has also been installed for all outbound baggage.

“From the additional screening capabilities to the improved traffic flow, air travel will be safer, and at the same time more convenient and pleasant,” said U.S. Sen. Susan Collins.

Roughly $66 million of the total $75 million project was funded through $4.50 passenger facility fees tacked on to each departure and arrival. Another $9 million came from the federal government for an advanced baggage screening system.

No money from city property taxes was used to pay for the new project.

Turner Construction Co. of Boston led the project, which officials said created about 90 jobs.

The new terminal will be home to retail stores like Cool as a Moose, CNBC Store, and DownEast in addition to a Linda Bean’s Maine Lobster Cafe and a Burger King, in addition to the Shipyard Brewport, Starbucks store in the existing terminal. A Great American Bagel store is also opening.

For now, ticket counters for JetBlue and U.S. Airways will be located in the new terminal, although all airlines will operate out of the new space by February 2012.

Along with efficient lighting and large windows, the facility is relying on 120 thermal wells drilled 500 feet into the earth to keep the new terminal at 72 degrees year round. Based on current projections, the new system will save an estimated 50,000 gallons of oil per year.

City residents will have a chance to tour the new terminal today from 9 a.m. until noon.

"The new terminal, with its clean lines, intuitive way-finding, is a model for passenger efficiency and user friendliness, yet it still proves a distinctive sense of place,” said airport director Paul Bradbury, who described the facility as state of the art.

He continued, “From the expansive wood structure to the granite finishes, it proclaims loudly its roots in Portland and the great state of Maine.”