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Airport authority outlines $100M+ projects, ConRAC opening and PFAS litigation
Summary
Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority reported multiple large capital projects (including a consolidated rental car facility opening tomorrow and ongoing terminal enhancements), said some work depends on FAA and CBP actions, and told commissioners it is in active PFAS litigation with the state while piloting remediation projects.
Torrey, representing the Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority, briefed the Kent County Finance & Infrastructure Committee on a slate of multi‑hundred‑million dollar projects, recent service metrics and environmental work underway at the airport.
Torrey said the authority calculates about $7.7 billion in annual regional economic impact tied to the airport and related businesses and said the campus supports approximately 2,500 direct jobs and about 40,000 jobs in the broader West Michigan region.
On capital work, Torrey described 'Program Elevate,' a set of six transformational projects each well over $100 million. He said the consolidated rental car facility (ConRAC) opens to the public tomorrow and that terminal enhancement and baggage‑makeup projects are underway. Torrey said the airport will be the first in the U.S. with a fully automated inline baggage handling system using an individual carrier system.
Several projects are dependent on federal partners: Torrey said the airport cannot complete international processing expansion until U.S. Customs and Border Protection provides staffing and that the planned air traffic control tower relocation is shovel‑ready but awaits FAA procurement.
On environmental issues, Torrey told the committee the airport is in active litigation with the state over alleged PFAS discharges that took place while complying with FAA firefighting requirements. He said the airport is piloting remediation projects with EGLE and state universities and is transitioning to FAA‑approved firefighting foams while treating all such materials as hazardous releases.
“We are the first case in The US where the state is coming after an airport, for those alleged discharges,” Torrey said, describing the litigation and the authority’s remediation pilots.
Torrey also noted campus improvements including wayfinding signage and installing solar panels on Concourse B to offset energy use. He invited commissioners to follow up and review the slide deck for additional details and schedule items dependent on federal approvals.
Next step: Projects that require federal procurement or CBP engagement will move forward as federal partners allocate resources; the authority will update the commission on progress and remediation pilot results.
