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Design plan aims to cut walking distances, preserve Saarinen head house and add large Polaris lounge
Summary
Officials said the plan replaces old people movers with a horseshoe train and a central walking spine, preserves the Saarinen terminal and adds retail, hotels and one of the largest United Polaris lounges to improve the traveler experience.
Event leaders said the design will retain the Saarinen head house while replacing the airport’s slow elevated people-mover system with faster circulation and a horseshoe train routing. The aim, speakers said, is to reduce the long walks that currently frustrate passengers and to concentrate new amenities near the terminal entrance.
A transportation official said explicitly, "We are gonna get rid of the people movers," and described a horseshoe train and an accessible central walking spine designed to give easy access to all gates. The lead speaker described glass pedestrian bridges linking a new parking structure directly to the terminal and said restaurants and retail would be substantially expanded, including plans for a very large United Polaris lounge.
Speakers emphasized preserving Saarinen’s architecture while adding modern concourses and passenger amenities. They described the design as balancing historic preservation with operational improvements to make gate access faster and more intuitive.
