CLEVELAND — Cleveland Hopkins International Airport is taking the first visible step toward a massive makeover.
On Wednesday, the airport will break ground on a new parking lot called the Gold Lot. The lot will add 1,600 parking spaces to the airport's campus.
Airport officials said the extra parking is a major need right now.
Passenger numbers continue to grow, surpassing 10 million travelers a year. The Gold Lot is expected to open in March 2027.
"It will have a covered walkway," Megan O'Connell with Cleveland Hopkins International Airport said. "It will have a shuttle service. This is really an amenity our passengers need."
The groundbreaking marks the start of a $1.6 billion modernization project known as CLEvolution.
Once the new Gold Lot opens, crews will close the current Orange Lot to build a brand new parking garage. That new garage will hold nearly 50% more cars than the current one.
All of this parking shuffle paves the way for the ultimate goal. Crews plan to build a brand new airport terminal on the site of the current parking garage.
O'Connell said the goal is to create a nimble space that can adapt to the future.
"We want to have a modern airport that meets the needs of passengers today and needs are always evolving, right?" she said. "Whether that's parking, concessions, amenities, or technology. We want to have an airport that can evolve to meet those needs, but also evolve in the future and be nimble, be able to meet people where they are in their journey and provide a really positive passenger experience for Northeast Ohio."
The brand new terminal is scheduled to open in 2032.
