Mayor of Chicago, Brandon Johnson, recently joined officials from the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) to unveil a new Central Market at Midway International Airport (MDW), completing the final phase of a major eight-year modernisation programme for the airport.
The new Central Market, which is located between Concourses A and B, houses a range of new and existing brands and outlets, bringing the total number of concession stands at the airport to just shy of 70, with an expanded operation area of over 70,000 square feet.
The overhaul has been handled by MDW’s concessions developer, Midway Partnership. The developer’s contract with the CDA is now set to be extended as part of a broader airport concessions ordinance that previously provided relief measures during the COVID-19 .
“The new concessions in Midway’s reopened Central Market are not just world-class amenities to enhance the passenger experience for Chicagoans and visitors alike. These improvements are an investment in our City’s communities, creating jobs on the Southwest Side for young people and mid-career professionals while connecting local businesses and entrepreneurs with one of our region’s biggest economic engines.”
Work on the Midway Modernization Program (MMP) began in 2015, and has been the most comprehensive investment in the facility for over twenty years, costing 400 million USD.
Previous upgrades as part of the MMP included an expansion of the airport’s passenger security checkpoint in 2020, which saw the widening of a pedestrian bridge over Cicero Avenue, leading to the doubling of both the TSA’s hourly screening capacity and queueing space.
Midway’s Terminal Parking Garage, which was modernised in 2021, also received a technological overhaul, improvements to its exit plaza, a new revenue control system, new electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, energy-efficient LED lighting and drainage as part of the programme.
“I am proud of Midway’s long track record of investing in diverse local businesses, with the highest Airport Concessions Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) participation rate in the nation.
“This ribbon-cutting completes our ambitious Midway Modernization Program and underscores Mayor Johnson’s ongoing commitment to supporting our diverse team of airport concessionaires at both airports, which represent a key pillar of Chicago’s economy.”
