City of Cleveland Awards Contract for Development of CLE Airport Master Plan

October 21, 2019

Press Releases

The City of Cleveland has awarded a contract to RS&H to create a new Master Plan for Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE). RS&H was selected through a competitive bidding process to work on the project. The company provides architecture, engineering and consulting services. 

“The City of Cleveland is working to ensure that Cleveland Hopkins International Airport’s remains competitive in the industry and continues to grow in the number of flight options offered and passengers it serves,” said Mayor Frank G. Jackson. “This Master Plan process will identify investments that will make Hopkins a more modern, user-friendly airport to attract business flyers as well as leisure travelers.” 

A Master Plan is a dynamic, long-term plan that provides a conceptual layout which provide guidance for future growth and development at CLE. It will include airfield planning, terminal planning, landside planning, other facilities (i.e. aircraft maintenance, general aviation, emergency services) and environmental considerations. 

The last time the airport worked on a Master Plan was in 2012 when CLE served as an airline hub location. Since the hub closure, CLE has changed dramatically going from roughly 65 percent Origin and Destination (O & D) traffic to 97 percent O & D, which has brought more than 3.6 million more passengers annually through the front door of CLE. 

“As we look to the future of our airport, it is important to have a forward-looking plan on how to best serve the stakeholders that utilized the airport,” said Airport Director Robert Kennedy. “The new Master Plan will give us a road map of projects and 

improvements for years to come, given the dynamic changes the airport has undergone since 2014.” 

In addition to the changes as CLE, the Master Plan will incorporate global changes in the aviation industry. In recent years, commercial aviation has seen new business models and methodologies, significant rise of ultra-low-cost carriers and a dramatic change in the types of aircraft flying today. All of these facets will be taken into consideration as CLE strengthens its roll within the National Airspace System. 

The $4.5 million project is expected to be complete by early 2021.