CLEVELAND — City leaders have approved plans for a new eight-story parking garage at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport — the first major step in a $1.6 billion modernization effort.
The $301 million garage will feature 750 spaces on each of its eight levels and will also include a new ground transportation center for hotel and off-site parking shuttles, as well as a relocated RTA train station. The new garage is slated to open in 2029.
Before construction on the garage begins, crews are currently building a new Gold Lot behind Concourse D. That lot will add about 1,600 parking spaces and is expected to open in the spring of 2027.
Dennis Kramer, assistant director of airport development for the Cleveland Department of Port Control, said the phased approach is designed to keep parking available throughout construction.
"We're making sure we're not taking off too much parking at any given time," Kramer said. "We had the gold lot parking, then that gives us the ability to build a new parking garage where the orange lot is. And then once the new parking garage is open, we're able to demolish the existing parking garage. That way we're never losing too much parking at any given time."
Once the new garage opens in 2029, crews will demolish the existing parking garage to make room for a brand new airport terminal.
Airport officials said they want to fix major pinch points for travelers, including parking and security. Some travelers say the issues are already noticeable.
"Parking is a little tough, especially on site," traveler John Lavelle of Fairview Park said. "I don't park here that often, but when I do, I've found that it's easier to take a cab or Uber than it is to try and park here. It's expensive, and off-sites just take way too long."
Plans call for the new garage to connect to the new terminal via a fourth-floor bridge and an underground tunnel. The new terminal will house a central security checkpoint, baggage claim, and a new ticketing hall.
The new terminal is expected to open in 2032.
