Grand Rapids Airport Plans $90 Million Expansion to Accommodate Growth

Aug. 29, 2019

GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Grand Rapids’ airport is undertaking a $90 million expansion that will add eight more passenger gates, create 300 new jobs and accommodate continued passenger and airline growth.

“Project Elevate will change the skyline of the airport,” said Dan Koorndyk, chair of the Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority Board. “It sets the stage for not only the airport’s growth, but our region’s as a whole.”

The first part of what Ford Airport officials announced Wednesday, Aug. 28 as the $165 million “Project Elevate” is the $90 million eight-gate expansion of concourse A that will additionally bring a new look and new concessions to the terminal area.

Officials say the current number of gates, 15 of them, has proved a “choke point” and would stifle continued passenger and airline growth at the airport if not increased. Each morning, more planes take off from Ford Airport than there are gates.

Concourse construction is slated to begin in spring 2020 and conclude in 2022.

The expansion is one of three projects announced Wednesday. The others a new and relocated aircraft control tower, billed around $50 million, and a federal inspection station, billed at $25 million.

Relocating the aircraft control tower will afford more options for parking and airline expansions. The federal inspection station will encourage more international flights, Ford Airport officials said.

No local tax dollars will be used for any of the projects. Ford Airport will pay for the work with a blend of federal and state grants, municipal bonds and airport flier fees. The aircraft control tower would be funded in full by the Federal Aviation Administration, if the agency approves.

“It’s the future,” said Casey Ries, Gerald R. Ford International’s engineering and planning director. “We’ve made the airport look and feel like West Michigan, so now let’s expand that vision and continue to improve those amenities. It’s really about connecting West Michigan to the world and doing that in a high-class, high caliber way, doing it in style, doing it the West Michigan way.”

The announcement comes at a time of continued record passenger growth, additional non-stop passenger routes and numerous infrastructure expansions at Ford Airport.

Last year about 3.26 million passengers flew in and out of Ford Airport -- the most ever in a year. The passenger numbers trumped the previous record set in 2017 of 2.8 million passengers. This year, passenger numbers are up another 11 percent from 2018.

Ford Airport projections show passenger growth will continue increasing by an average of 3.5 percent a year through 2040.

“With record numbers of people traveling through Ford Airport and West Michigan’s strong economy continuing to create new opportunities, the Ford Airport is at a crucial intersection,” U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Zeeland, who spoke at Wednesday’s announcement, said. “It is critical to invest in our aviation infrastructure to ensure we can meet the needs of residents and travelers who will make West Michigan an even better place to live, work and visit.”

Koorndyk said the concourse expansion is Ford Airport’s biggest infrastructure project since the construction of the 4,800-space, $130 million parking ramp in 2009.

Last week Ford Airport officials announced the hiring of Torrance “Tory” Richardson as their new president and CEO.

Richardson formerly served as executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Columbus Regional Airport Authority, which manages three airports in the Columbus region.

He replaces James Gill, who resigned as CEO in November 2018 to pursue jobs in the private sector.

The airport is currently wrapping up phase two of the $47 million “Gateway Transformation Project." The second phase improves airline ticket counters and baggage service offices, as well as the baggage claim, curbside and “front-of-house” areas, airport officials previously said.

Phase two also adds restrooms and food and beverage vendors near the baggage claim area and will be complete summer 2020.

The first phase, which wrapped up in fall 2017, brought a consolidated security checkpoint and new spaces for retail and concessions.

In addition to that construction, work is being done to expand the terminal apron that will support the concourse expansion. The construction is funded in part by $14.4 million in federal and state commitments.

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