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Ten days ago, Mayor Justin Bibb announced a $1.6 billion plan to construct the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport’s Terminal Modernization Development Program (TDMP). Today, more details came to light about that plan, called CLEvolution, as the City Planning Commission unanimously approved the first two steps forward in that eight-year program.
The program is complex, requiring large land uses to be moved around, demolished and constructed within a finite space. The first step in that motion puzzle is the construction of a $22.5 million parking lot next to the vacant Concourse D. That concourse was built in 1999 for $80 million to handle Continental Airlines’ hub which United Airlines closed after merging with Continental.
Concourse D will not be reopened. Instead, a “wildlife fence” will be constructed along the eastern edge of the concourse’s structure to secure the airport grounds to the west. East of that fence, where planes once taxied to and from Concourse D’s gates, will be repurposed so it can accommodate 1,622 parked vehicles in what will be called the Gold Lot.
A new covered walkway will be built along airport roadways to reach the terminal’s headhouse. However, the southern part of the Gold Lot will be a nearly 3,000-foot walk, or more than a half-mile to the center of Hopkins’ terminal headhouse where passengers can check their bags and get boarding passes.
So a shuttle bus service will also be provided with bus waiting shelters located at an unidentified number of stops in the Gold Lot, airport officials said at today’s Planning Commission meeting. The Gold Lot’s vehicle entrance will be at the south end off Cargo Road and the exit will be at the north end nearer to the airport terminal.
Brad Beckert, deputy commissioner of development at the city’s Department of Port Control which owns and manages the airport, said construction on the Gold Lot and its related facilities at Terminal D will start this year and be completed in 2026. The lot will be a paid parking facility operated by the Department of Port Control.
Funding for the first step plus design and engineering will come from $175 million in initial airline funding that was provided in 2024. An additional $301 million of airline funding to support the CLEvolution plan was approved by airlines on May 1, allowing for the second step in the TDMP to get underway, too.
That second step was also approved by the planning commission today. That step is to construct a 6,000-space parking garage and ground transportation center on the current site of the 1,080-space Orange Lot which will be closed after the new Gold Lot opens.
So the Orange Lot will first be dug up for a new subway station for the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority’s (GCRTA) Red Line to Downtown Cleveland and University Circle — respectively Ohio’s first- and fourth-largest employment centers. Its old subway tunnel will be used as a temporary accessway into the airport during construction.
Although the Planning Commission approved the two steps, it will ultimately be up to City Council to have the final approval. The ask includes two ordinances authorizing the director of Port Control to enter into contracts to make those airport improvements.
Once the new parking deck and ground transportation center are built, the existing, 4,000-space Smart Garage and its terminal walkway will be demolished. In their place will be new airport roadways and the new passenger terminal headhouse, complete with high ceilings and lots of glass.
“Cleveland Hopkins International Airport is more than just a transportation hub, it’s the front door to our region, shaping the first and last impressions of everyone who visits our city,” Bibb said last week. “As mayor, I am fully committed to advocating for the transformation of this vital asset.”
Last year, Hopkins saw 10 million travelers — the most since 2008 when it was a Continental Airlines hub. Nowadays, most travelers aren’t changing flights here, but local travelers are parking cars, checking bags and going through security. That has put increased demands on an aging, cramped terminal.
At peak travel times, finding parking at Hopkins Airport lots can be a challenge. During spring break a month ago, all five city-owned lots at the airport were filled by the afternoons. Plus, private lots on Snow Road were reported at near-capacity.
Hopkins Airport will host an Industry Day event on June 3 to present the program to consultants, contractors, local businesses, services and the aviation industry. A Web site for the airport plans is live and a video is available to show the phasing of the proposed airport improvements.
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