Cleveland Hopkins International Airport's Full Masterplan Has Been Released

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Cleveland Hopkins International Airport could in the coming years go from its current 46 active departure gates divided among three terminal concourses to 40 gates spread roughly equally among two new concourses. And the rental car facility would be returned to the airport grounds for the first time since 1998.

That’s according to a more fully developed yet still-conceptual masterplan for the $3 billion, two-decade, full build-out of the airport’s Terminal Modernization Development Program (TMDP). The masterplan was unofficially released in a new project phasing video posted online last week.

But that video, along with expanded plans and renderings, were posted online yesterday as part of CLEvolution, the city’s airport modernization promotional effort. Hopkins’ airport code is CLE.

Yesterday, the city hosted nearly 800 potential contractors interested in bidding on airport construction projects, an event called CLEvolution Industry Day 2.0. Some of them will be chosen to deliver the first major rebuild of Hopkins Airport since the 1970s.

“Industry Day 2.0 reflects the incredible interest and enthusiasm surrounding the future of CLE,” said Bryant Francis, director of the city’s division of port control which manages Hopkins and Burke lakefront airports, in a written statement.

“The continued engagement from both local and national industry partners demonstrates the shared commitment to advancing a transformation that will serve our community for generations,” Francis added.

The expanded, conceptual masterplan for the full build-out of the TMDP show the two new concourses with roughly 20 gates each, built on either side of where Concourse B is today. The plan offers the possibility to expand the number of gates if demand warrants.

Those two concourses would replace the current three active concourses A, B and C which have 46 gates total. All of the old concourses, including a fourth, closed Concourse D that has 36 inactive gates, would be demolished.

Where Concourse D now stands, and where construction began in July for the $22 million, interim 1,600-space Gold Lot, a new, onsite, consolidated rent-a-car (CONRAC) facility will be built. It will be within walking distance of the new terminal headhouse.

Since 1998, travelers arriving at Hopkins who needed a rental car have had to take a free shuttle bus to the consolidated rental car facility, 19601 Maplewood Ave. It is located on the other side of Interstate 480 from the airport.

Those new masterplan features are in addition to previously revealed new airport facilities estimated to cost $1.6 billion. They include the terminal headhouse, ground transportation center (GTC) with a new parking garage, red, blue and gold lots plus a new rail transit subway station.

Cleveland’s Planning Commission’s Design Review Committee last month approved plans for the airport’s new $301 million GTC. It is an early step, due by 2029, to allow for later steps that will offer a new airport terminal and access roadways as early as 2032.

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