A report released Wednesday by the Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development at DePaul urges the city to consider shifting its O’Hare rebuild plans around to prevent “sharp reductions” in flight activity at the busy airport during construction.
In recent bond documents, the city said it was hoping to do just that.
Initial plans for the massive $8.2 billion revamp at O’Hare called for two “satellite” concourses to be built first, followed by the centerpiece of the project, a new Global Terminal.
But the airlines, which are footing much of the bill for the construction, pushed for the Global Terminal construction to be moved up, hoping to ensure the centerpiece wouldn’t be threatened by increasing costs.
Now, the city says it wants to switch around the schedule.
In bond documents first reported by Crain’s, the city said it had completed an analysis that “determined construction of the (Global Terminal) would need to be completed in incremental phases to mitigate gate capacity impacts.”
Such a change would result in “an appreciable increase in costs and potentially delaying the delivery of the (Global Terminal).”
The city said it had developed a plan that would see the two satellite terminals constructed concurrently, before the Global Terminal — as originally planned.
“The city is continuing to engage with stakeholders and evaluate the most advantageous phasing approach,” it said in the bond documents.
Neither United nor American airlines offered a comment on city’s proposed plans.
In a statement, the city’s Department of Aviation said it was “advancing a development framework to guide the current phase of construction and minimize operational impacts.”
“This framework will continue to be refined through active collaboration with airline partners,” the department said. “Future adjustments to project sequencing and timing will reflect our shared commitment to a smooth, efficient, and forward-looking modernization of O’Hare.”
“We’re going to see flight activity suffer without some strategic changes,” said Joseph Schwieterman of the Chaddick Institute, a professor at DePaul and one of the authors of the report released Wednesday.
The policy brief urges the city to reassess the costs and benefits of changing the terminal construction order. Barring a change in construction plans, the city will need to consider other strategies to mitigate impacts on travelers, such as by incentivizing the shifting of some flights to Midway Airport, the report said.
