Planned $242M renovation dubbed the largest in Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport’s history
A planned $242 million overhaul of main terminal concourses and gate areas at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is being hailed as the single largest interior renovation since the building opened in 1962.
The ambitious renovation project is set to modernize six of the seven concourses at Terminal 1, with the work expected to wrap up by late 2025. With the improvements underway, frequent travelers at MSP will need to endure the construction at the nation’s 19th busiest airport.
But despite the inconvenience, officials from the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) and Delta Air Lines believe it’s all for a good cause, as they shared at a news conference on Thursday.
The focus of this project is “about creating an exceptional airport experience for the millions of passengers who travel through MSP to visit, to vacation, and to conduct business here so that our economy thrives,” said CEO Brian Ryks of the MAC.
The renovation plan calls for a unified and modern design for the concourses and approximately 75 Delta gates, which will include terrazzo flooring in passenger corridors, new wall finishes, brighter LED lighting, technology upgrades for flight and gate information screens, and gate seating with more power outlets.
One of the highlights of this announcement is that no taxpayer funds will be used. The MAC is investing $182.5 million of its own funds into the project, with Delta, the airport’s dominant carrier, contributing $60 million.
Officials said there will be little disruption to flight activity during the renovations, as much of the work will be done during overnight hours. Delta’s gates will remain open during the construction.
The interior renovation is set to span 378,000 square feet and will incorporate many of the design changes the MAC has made during its expansion of the ticketing lobby and baggage claim areas, as well as Concourse G’s modernization between gates G17 and G22.
This renovation is just one part of the larger effort to improve the airport and cater to the growing post-pandemic travel demand. With the announcement, the MAC will have invested more than $1 billion in upgrades from “curb to gate” since 2016. This includes an $80 million expansion of the G Concourse in 2022 that created space for a third Delta Sky Club at MSP and continued work on G Concourse renovations.
Despite the inconvenience of construction, the scale of the planned renovations highlights authorities’ commitment to ensuring MSP remains a top-tier travel destination.