State and local officials, airport partners and members of the community gathered in mid-December to break ground on the $2-billion terminal planned at John Glenn Columbus International Airport in Columbus, Ohio.

Construction of the terminal, which will replace one built in 1958, is being overseen by construction manager at-risk Hensel Phelps.

The terminal will include a pedestrian bridge, an entry canopy and head house, a marketplace and east and west concourses. It is being constructed on what is currently a parking lot, south of International Gateway, the main entry into the airport from Interstate 670.

The new terminal, which is slated for completion in 2029, will allow passenger access at two curbside levels for departures and arrivals and a pedestrian bridge linking it to the ground transportation center, which will include the rental car facility and a new 5,000-space parking garage. It will also feature one centralized security checkpoint close to the entrance to streamline the screening process.

The terminal will have 36 gates, including two international gates, and will center around a light-filled central marketplace that emphasizes local food and beverage options.

The start of construction follows a year of failed negotiations between local trade unions and the authority to reach an agreement that union leaders said would assure that workers receive the prevailing wage and other benefits.

“[The airport authority] has been insistent on allowing contractors to sign to the agreement or not, which obviously defeats the purpose of a community agreement because it’s not an agreement unless everybody signs it,” said Dorsey Hager, secretary-treasurer of the Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council.

Despite the unions’ complaints, Chuck May, project executive for Hensel Phelps, said his firm and the airport authority will pay the prevailing wage.

Image courtesy of the Columbus Regional Airport Authority

“Hensel Phelps and the authority have voluntarily committed to paying workers labor rates equal to the prevailing wage and fringe benefits, along with an objective to support the local workforce development through the project,” May said.

He added that Hensel Phelps has also publicly committed to a 25% diversity business partner goal, which equates to $400 million in contracts for small and local firms as well as minority-, women- and veteran-owned firms.

Despite Hensel Phelps’ assurances, Hager said having no agreement will adversely impact the project, which will be competing for workers with other large projects in the area that have agreements.

“That’s going to just create a breeding ground for organizing, and there are going to be union reps and organizers on that job every day and they’re going to be talking to workers and people that aren’t getting paid top wages, not getting paid per diem or bonuses and they’re going to take them from that job and put them to work for signatory contractors at Honda, Intel and other jobs,” he said.

May said Hensel Phelps is proud to be part of this “transformational” project and “is dedicated to achieving the airport authority’s objectives for the project’s budget, schedule, safety, quality and community development.”

The new terminal will be able to handle 13 million passengers per year, which exceeds the 8.7 million passengers that traveled through the John Glenn and the nearby Rickenbacker airport passenger terminals combined in 2023.