City details 'Clevolution' terminal modernization plan for Cleveland Hopkins, eyes phased, landside‑first approach

CLEVELAND — Airport leaders presented an updated master plan for Cleveland Hopkins Airport on the Transportation & Mobility Committee on Tuesday, unveiling “Clevolution,” a landside‑first terminal modernization and guest‑experience program that airport staff say they plan to deliver in phases to limit operational disruption.

Director Francis, who led the briefing for the Department of Port Control, said the airport’s existing head house “encompasses ticketing, TSA screening, and baggage claim functions” and is now inadequate in size and layout for current passenger activity. “I believe it is CLE’s time. It is time for CLE to step into the spotlight,” Director Francis said.

Staff described Phase 1 as landside‑focused and consisting of a new 6,000‑space parking garage, a 1,600‑space surface “Gold Lot” adjacent to Concourse D, a new ground transportation center, a new RTA station with a tunnel connection to the terminal, a new head house built on the footprint of the existing parking garage, pedestrian bridges to the concourses, and demolition of the existing head house and garage once the replacements are operational.

Airport staff and their program management team told the committee the landside sequence is intended to minimize passenger disruption by allowing existing facilities to remain open while new elements come online. Dennis Kramer, assistant director of airport development, said the Gold Lot is expected to open in 2026 and that construction of the new garage would begin by the end of next year with an early‑2029 opening projected for the garage tunneling and initial elements. The team said they are targeting the land‑side program to debut fully by “02/1932” as stated in the committee presentation.

Staff said the new head house will be more than twice the size of the existing facility (the current head house is about 380,000 square feet), will feature a consolidated TSA checkpoint to replace three smaller checkpoints, and will include a new federal inspection services (FIS) arrangement and a sterile corridor to improve international arrival flows. The design concept includes a light, open building with large glazing and seven skylight features designed to evoke Lake Erie waves; staff also said they expect to install solar panels on the wave‑like roof elements.

The airport described a sustainability master plan, a community impact plan being developed with the Office of Equal Opportunity, and a sense‑of‑place study led by local firm Robert P. Madison International. The sense‑of‑place outreach included a public survey with “just under 2,300” responses and 14 focus groups; “iconic,” “evolving” and “Forest City” were top descriptors respondents selected for Cleveland and were used to shape interior finishes and public‑facing design elements.

Scott Carr, assistant director of commercial business and revenue, and Tyson Mitchell, director of the Office of Equal Opportunity, joined staff to answer questions about funding, workforce and community benefits. Director Francis told the committee CLE is an enterprise fund that does not draw from the city general fund; airport revenues and rates charge agreements with nine signatory airlines cover operating shortfalls, and staff said the nine airlines unanimously committed nearly $500 million over the last 15 months toward terminal and related improvements.

Staff said the landside elements the committee saw are estimated to cost about $1.6 billion. Kramer and the director said the airport will market bonds and that the airlines will be the ultimate backstop for bond debt through existing lease and rate mechanisms. Staff also said they will pursue grant funding and other sources for components such as the RTA station and that the airport is preparing an industry day to solicit contractors and partners.

Council members raised questions about cost and community benefits. Councilman Bishop asked how Clevelanders would pay for the project; Director Francis and staff explained the enterprise fund model and described plans for a community impact program to maximize local hiring and contracting opportunities. Director Tyson Mitchell said the city and airport intend to prioritize Cleveland businesses and workers and explore strategies such as owner‑controlled insurance and subcontractor default insurance to reduce capital and insurance barriers for smaller local contractors.

Committee members praised the design imagery and emphasized workforce development. Councilman Zenten asked about pipeline and training; Director Mitchell said the community impact plan will include local business engagement, partnerships with schools and unions, and other workforce pipelines. Staff said additional procurement and legislative items related to the program will come forward, and they invited interested firms to an industry day planned for June (date published in committee materials).

Airport staff said that more design work is expected through an upcoming design phase and that visuals shared with the committee are conceptual and subject to refinement. The committee did not take a formal vote on the overall program during the presentation; staff said individual procurements and bond authorizations will come back to council for approval.