CHICAGO — The Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) today celebrated the grand opening of a new, six-story parking garage serving the recently renovated and expanded Terminal 5, the latest milestone achieved by Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration toward the modernization of O’Hare International Airport.

The new parking structure — the first-ever to serve Terminal 5 — more than doubles the amount of available parking at the terminal, which handles both domestic and international passengers.

“Investments like this are an important complement to the transformational modernization happening across O’Hare Airport,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson. “Our goal is to ensure a world-class traveling experience during every step of the journey into, through and out of the airport.”

The $191 million garage features a parking guidance system that provides real-time availability of parking spaces, as well as 48 electric vehicle charging stations. It connects to Terminal 5 by way of an enclosed pedestrian bridge on the first level. The garage replaces a portion of the adjacent Lot D surface parking lot and offers both short- and long-term parking options. The adjacent surface lot will still offer about 650 spaces.

“With features like real-time parking guidance and electric vehicle charging stations, this new garage reflects our commitment to innovation and sustainability,” said CDA Commissioner Jamie L. Rhee. “It’s an important addition to Terminal 5, ensuring our customers have a convenient and accessible experience from the moment they arrive.”

In addition to addressing the need for convenient parking, the garage makes a strong architectural statement. Designed by SCB, its ornamental metal cladding and subtle curves soften the scale of the structure and give it a sense of lightness.

The Terminal 5 garage project was led by joint venture AECOM Hunt Clayco BOWA as Construction Manager at-Risk and supported by 189 participating contractors, including 47 minority-owned firms and 39 women-owned firms, reflecting Mayor Johnson’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in airport contracting. The joint venture is on track to exceed its minority business goal of 26%, with a current participation rate of 34.8%.

The first five levels of the garage are fully open to customers. The rooftop, Level 6, is expected to open later this month. Additional landside improvements will include re-striping of airport roadways to rebalance lane capacity and an expansion of the curbside area, including physical drive lanes, dedicated entry and exit roadways, escalators, and pedestrian areas.

All of the Terminal 5 improvements are part of the larger O’Hare 21 program, a curb-to-gate transformation of O’Hare’s terminal complex into a modern, efficient global hub designed to create a more efficient and comfortable experience for travelers.

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