Cleveland Hopkins prepares next phase of $1.6 billion renovation

Driving the news: Nearly 800 contractors, consultants and suppliers gathered downtown Tuesday for CLEvolution Industry Day 2.0, where Hopkins officials outlined upcoming projects and procurement opportunities.

• The airport expects to issue a request for qualifications for its new head house — the terminal's main ticketing, security and passenger drop-off area — by year's end.
• A second package covering site work, utilities and roadways is expected in early 2027.

State of play: Construction began in July on the new Gold Lot that will add 1,600 parking spaces by spring.

• That will clear the way for a new 6,000-space parking garage and ground transportation center, including an upgraded RTA Red Line station, with a targeted opening date of spring 2029.

Between the lines: Airport officials emphasized opportunities for local, small and minority- and women-owned businesses to participate in the massive project.

What they're saying: "We want partners who understand that project success and community success are not competing priorities," Tyson Mitchell, who leads Cleveland's Office of Equal Opportunity, told attendees Tuesday.

The bottom line: "For Cleveland to be a world-class city, it must have a world-class airport," airport director Bryant Francis said.