Chicago’s Mayor Rahm Emanuel has announced the largest investment plan in nearly a decade for Chicago Midway International Airport – at around $248m – and that the CDA will issue an RFP for a single-entity concessions operator, in September.

 

CDA says that the concessions areas, stores, and restaurants will be renovated and shopping, dining, lounge facilities, spa services, and medical services will be added.

 

A new 80,000 square foot security hall will be created and 20,000 square feet of new concessions space will be added.

 

The tentative schedule for the programme will see the RFP issued in early September; CDA will receive bids through mid-December 2015, conduct evaluation of those bids in the first quarter of 2016 and advance the proposal in the City Council in the second quarter of 2016.

 

“The new concession areas will also feature the best of Chicago through iconic brands and concepts while providing opportunities for local businesses and residents,” says CDA.

 

CDA envisions that the airport will see concession space grow by 50% and by 2019 it expects concession revenue to double.

 

The project will also include an expansion of the terminal parking garage as well as security checkpoints, which apparently addresses concerns that have been raised by business travellers and tourists ‘for years’.

 

“Midway is more than an airport,” says Mayor Emanuel. “It is an important economic engine for the City of Chicago so with this modernisation we are making an essential investment in the future of Midway but also the future of Chicago.”

 

An expansion of Midway’s security checkpoint area will address the bottleneck that frequently occurs; ‘a frustration to travellers’, says CDA. The terminal parking garage expansion, which is in the design phase, will add four levels and 1,400 premium parking spaces to the terminal garage.

 

“Midway is premier point-to-point airport in the US, offering travel to 75 markets including eight international markets and is one of the fastest growing airports in the US,” says CDA. “It generates approximately $7bn in economic activity each year and 90,000 jobs for the region.”

 

Southwest Airlines is the largest flight carrier at Midway, and Midway is the largest market in the airline’s network.

 

The CDA’s Concessions Department will host a ‘Midway Airport Industry Day’ on Wednesday, 12 August, 2015 at 2pm at the UIC Forum at 725 W. Roosevelt Rd. in Chicago.

The CDA invites interested businesses and entrepreneurs which have expertise operating concessions in the following categories: food and beverage specialty retail, airport and family lounges, duty free, convenience retail, automated vending, and service industry businesses and suppliers.

“The purpose of this forum is to inform the business community about the Midway Redevelopment programme and highlight key goals of an important project for the City’s future,” said Ginger S. Evans, Commissioner, CDA [pictured earlier in the article].

The event will provide details on the RFP process, outline procurement requirements and the procurement process, and discuss Airport Concessions Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) participation.

For more information, visit [email protected].