The Gerald Ford Airport in Michigan is undergoing a $135M Terminal Enhancement Project to increase core capacity and improve guest experience. The project includes a new baggage handling system, gate consolidation, and enhanced airline capacity. Local contractors are involved, and the airport aims to continue growing with the region.
Photo courtesy of The Christman Company
Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford International Airport is undergoing a $135 million Terminal Enhancement Project (TEP) from 2024 to 2027 as part of a larger capital campaign to improve the terminal core capacity.
Michigan's Gerald R. Ford International Airport is undergoing a $135 million Terminal Enhancement Project (TEP) from 2024 to 2027 as part of a larger capital campaign to improve the terminal core capacity of the airport serving Kent County and all of west Michigan. Over the course of a decade, more than $600 million will be invested into terminal infrastructure with the focus being adding terminal core capacity as part of a larger capital campaign branded ELEVATE. The project broke ground in April 2024 and will add about 175,000 sq. ft. to the west end of the terminal. Funding sources include municipal bonds issued by the airport, federal and state grants, and user fees.
Photo courtesy of The Christman Company
"Our airport is part of the economic engine of west Michigan, which is growing rapidly in both commercial and industrial operations. Kent County's 20- to 30-year-old demographic is growing faster than those 65 and older, which tells us we're attracting good young talent, innovative thinkers and our businesses are continuing to grow," said Casey Ries, director of engineering and planning.
His team focuses on planning, funding, designing and constructing sustainable facilities and maintaining airport infrastructure for the region.
"We see that growth at the airport with increase in both leisure and business travel. In fact, last year we finished busier than pre-pandemic traffic volumes," he said. "Our community has rebounded, and businesses are continuing to invest and air traffic continues to increase. With that, the airport's commitment to our community is to keep pace with demand. We're not seeing a significant increase in aircraft operations rather commercial aircraft are getting larger. We're seeing more seats on each plane and double-digit year-over-year increase in passengers."
TEP aims to improve the guest experience through ticketing and increasing airline capacity for checked bags and the TSA checked bag screening process, thereby decreasing process time. The three components of this phase address the consolidation of all the ticketing for seven airlines into one area of the terminal to the west with room for future growth; a fully in-line checked baggage inspection system (CBIS) per TSA requirements; and outbound baggage where airlines receive the screened bags from TSA, sort the bags by flight and move the bags out to the aircraft.
The construction manager at risk (CMAR) contract is between the Airport Authority and The Christman Company. The construction manager was hired via a value-based selection process, and they then solicit trade contractors. The lead designer is VTC; Corgan is architect of record; Fishbeck is handling civil, structural and mechanical, electrical and plumbing work; TLC Engineering Solutions for IT and communications; and InterVISTAS for planning and modeling while the owner's representative is Sluiter Corporation.
Nine work categories have been publicly bid as part of this phased design bid and construction contract. Eight of the nine are local to west Michigan. The most significant contract is for the baggage handling system and that is a contract with Beumer Corporation. Other subcontracts assigned to date include Fischer-Idema, Jelsema Concrete Construction, Fence Consultants of West Michigan, DJs Landscape Management, The Bouma Corporation, Total Fire Protection, B&V Mechanical and Bazen Electric Company.
The project is on schedule, with 45 percent contracted and the other 55 percent yet to be bid and sub-contracted. Work in progress includes utility relocations and enabling work with curb front and site improvements, demolition, etc., clearing the footprint for the structure. That will be followed by basement excavation and then full structure construction, a basement with two stories above. There also is aircraft and non-aircraft rated concrete paving in addition to standard footings and foundations. Two major components of the project are maintaining airport operations during construction and the introduction of the new baggage handling system.
Photo courtesy of The Christman Company
Ries shared there are some constraints to maintaining continuity of airport and airline operations during construction.
"We temporarily closed aircraft gate A4 to facilitate construction; that will reopen," he said. "We'll have some temporary relocation of airline offices but are working to maintain the guest experience and capacity while we build new and improved spaces. We will have new ticket counters, new baggage handling system partially in place, move airlines into that new system beginning in 2026, and then renovate the old spaces and old systems before completing the project in 2027."
As for the baggage handling system, the airport worked with airline partners in evaluating different technology solutions and selected an individual carrier system (ICS), which is an established baggage handling system in Europe, but relatively new in the United States. In an ICS, each bag is placed in an individual tote for consistent conveyance and tracking. Other solutions considered were a traditional belted system and a cross-belt sorter system.
Ries noted that the initial capital cost for ICS is slightly more than a traditional belted system, but the operational cost is significantly less.
"We calculated a four-year payback on the investment, primarily due to reduced operating costs with the utilities and electrical demand. We project 50 percent less energy consumption with this ICS system over traditional belted system plus reduction in bag jams and staff time to keep the system operational," he said.
The new ICS baggage handling system offers real-time monitoring and 100 percent tracking of each bag through the system.
"We'll track each bag from the point of injection into the system through the TSA screening operation with the checked baggage inspection system. Each bag is then tracked to the point where it's delivered to the airline. We expect to reduce the total time in system for those bags, and we'll be tracking and reporting on those times for awareness and transparency. Automation is, to call it a tremendous improvement, an understatement with the new baggage handling system," said Ries.
Equipment used on the project includes vertical sheet piling; a mobile fusion welding machine; hydro vac excavators; a cold asphalt milling machine; excavators; front end loaders; dump trucks; rough-terrain cranes; and 500-ton flatbed chillers. Specialty labor involves baggage handling system installers and programmers.
Photo courtesy of The Christman Company
Working at the airport presents some unique challenges.
"Our approach to cranes is scrutinized, specifically through a review process called 7460 with the FAA to understand vertical impacts to flight operation, line of site impacts from the air traffic control tower, to minimize or eliminate obstructing their line of sight where we're working only a few hundred feet away," Ries said.
The project has received local community support with area contractors showing significant interest in being a part of the development.
"That's important to the Airport Authority, that as we invest in airport infrastructure the economic impact of that investment is felt throughout the community, providing as many opportunities as possible for local contractors and employees to bid on and work at the airport," Ries said. "The airport's brand throughout west Michigan is very strong. Just over a year ago, we opened eight new gates on concourse A which were intentionally designed to look and feel like west Michigan and the feedback has been tremendous. TEP will continue that look and feel of west Michigan, giving the airport a sense of place and character." CEG
Ruksana Hussain
Ruksana Hussain is a Los Angeles, California-based award-winning journalist with 19 years' experience working with local, national and international print and digital media for consumer and trade markets. As a magazine editor and features writer, she covers a broad range of topics including construction and design, diversity and inclusion, data privacy and security, and more. She earned her bachelor's degree in sociology in India. Leisurely pursuits include traveling, random researching and attempting word puzzles of any nature.
Read more from Ruksana Hussain here.
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