The John Glenn Columbus International Airport's (CMH) new $2 billion terminal project broke ground Monday.
Leaders from the Columbus Regional Airport Authority (CRAA), Gov. Mike DeWine and several other government officials gathered to celebrate at a ceremony where the new terminal will open. The 1-million square foot terminal will include 36 gates, a central marketplace, a new parking garage, a pedestrian bridge and a centralized security checkpoint.
The airport authority plans for the project to be done by the 100th anniversary of the first flight out of the city of Columbus. That flight occurred July 8, 1929 with a celebration featuring Amelia Earhart and Orville and Wilbur Wright.
The current terminal opened nearly 70 years ago in 1958.
CRAA President and CEO Joseph Nardone said when complete, the terminal will accommodate 13 million passengers annually.
"This state of the art terminal reflects the vibrancy and growth of Columbus, serving as our gateway to the world. As we look forward to the future, this new terminal will symbolize the start of it all. Knowing that the sky is the limit for our progress," Nardone said.
CRAA Board Chair Elizabeth Kessler said the terminal will be a "first class experience." She said it will allow for more growth and expansion as central Ohio continues to grow and expand as the fastest-growing city in the Midwest.
"The things we love about our current airport will not be changing from the ease of getting in and out of the facility to convenient and plentiful parking. But it'll be all within an elevated design space," Kessler said.
DeWine said Glenn — who he served with in the U.S. Senate — would be particularly happy about this vision for the future if he were alive today.
"When someone comes to Ohio, comes into Columbus by air, this is the first thing they see. The people who greet them, who work the airport are the first Ohioans that can make an impression on them. That's why this is kind of the front porch to Ohio is so very, very important," DeWine said.
Kessler said the project is being constructed by a skilled union workforce and more than 26% of the construction work will be done by underrepresented businesses, including small, local, minority, women and veteran-owned businesses.
Despite this commitment, some union workers are not happy with how the project has proceeded. A group of about a half dozen union workers protested outside the event with signs calling on the airport to provide equal rights and protections to workers. Another sign called Nardone "anti-worker."
The Columbus Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council tried suing the airport in court because the CRAA denied the group from putting up a "Scabby the Rat" inflatable display and holding a small protest. The small protests did happen.
Nardone echoed what Kessler said after the event.
"So we have plenty of union workers on this site. We have over 80% of the workers on this job who are union affiliated. But I can tell you our priority in building this terminal was to make sure that we lifted up the community," Nardone said.
DeWine said on the labor dispute that the state tends to have very good labor relations, but he didn't want to comment on this situation because he didn't know the particulars.
Nardone said during construction there will be some inconvenience for passengers, but CRAA is trying to minimize that.
"Our airport is all about the customer experience. So we want to make sure that everybody has a good experience here. But make no mistake about it, it will be a construction site and things will change and you'll start seeing some real activity in January," Nardone said.
