VAA Joins Team Leading Cleveland Hopkins Airport Master Plan's Inaugural Phase Management

This article was originally published by Crain's Cleveland Business on December 20, 2023.

The Paslay Group, a firm based in Fort Worth, Texas, will provide the planning and implementation around the modernizing of the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) terminal and concourse facilities, according to a Wednesday, Dec. 20 announcement.

"The Paslay team has demonstrated expertise in advising executive airport leadership on numerous large-scale terminal programs nationwide and is well positioned to assist us in this endeavor,” said Bryant Francis, port control director, in a statement. 

“(The proposed program) … will transform the customer experience by modernizing our aging facilities and increasing operational efficiency, representing a tremendous public benefit while generating greater local economic impact,” he said in the statement.

As part of  the master plan , infrastructure modernization of Hopkins' 1950s-era main terminal and concourse is set to increase the ticketing and check-in area by more than 3,000 square feet; nearly double the security screening checkpoint square footage; and increase the number of gates from 45 to 53 while also increasing seating capacity at the gates.

This first phase of the master plan  is based on a projected increase to around 11 million annual passengers with improvements estimated to cost between $800 million and $900 million. This year, the airport is expected to see 10 million passengers for the first time since 2019.

Final plans for the new terminal design are expected to be formalized in 2024 and early construction is expected to begin in 2025, the centennial anniversary of the airport, according to the statement.

Paslay will lead the team responsible for the nearly $1 billion effort. That team includes Dallas, Texas-based architecture and design firm Corgan and Nashville-based airport development consulting firm Connico. 

Cleveland-based firms will play a big role, too. Robert P. Madison International will provide design services. Van Auken Akins Architects will assist with the design. McGuiness Unlimited, Inc. will provide project control support. And Regency Construction Services, Inc., will assist with cost estimating and scheduling services.

The terminal modernization is funded by non-aviation-related revenues: concessions, parking, carrier rents and landing fees in addition to federal grants. This first phase comes as Hopkins is also negotiating new lease agreements with airline carriers.

Francis said the estimates are that every $1 million in construction spent on airport redesign will translate to about nine construction jobs with a total of 7,200 local jobs needed during the first phase of the master plan.