Picture rebuilding your school’s hallways while classes are still going on. That’s O’Hare 21. You can’t close the world’s busiest airfield, so you build new gates first, move flights over, then tear down the old building.
The short version (the sticky-note version)
Big Picture
What happened
Why it matters
Who it affects
Travelers, airlines (United and American most of all), construction workers and contractors, and small and minority-owned firms looking for work on the job.
What comes next
Concourse D finishes in 2028, E Phase 1 opens in 2030, the Global Terminal is built 2029–2033, and the last 10 E gates open by 2034[4].
GOTB angle
GOTB Consulting brings 20+ years of Chicago infrastructure and aviation experience. Contact us to learn more. GOTB helps firms understand the sequence and get ready for the packages before they hit the street.
Study guide
What is O’Hare 21?
O’Hare 21 is the name the City gave to its long-term plan to redevelop O’Hare’s terminal core. The heart of it is the Terminal Area Plan (TAP): bigger Terminal 5, a new Global Terminal in place of Terminal 2, renovated Terminals 1 and 3, and new satellite concourses[1].
Today the construction program is branded ORDNext, and the City describes it as an $8.8 billion modernization[4] (the June 2026 Concourse D release used $8.78 billion[5]).
Explain it like I’m 12: It’s a giant remodel of the airport’s main buildings, not a brand-new airport.
The 2018 deal with the airlines
On March 28, 2018, after City Council approval, the City and United, American, Delta and Spirit signed a new Airline Use and Lease Agreement[1]. The new lease took effect May 12, 2018, replacing a 35-year-old one, and covers O’Hare’s 61 airline users[1].
Aldermen voted 40–1 to let the City borrow up to $4 billion in airport revenue and passenger facility charge bonds to get started[2]. The plan called for growing from 185 to 220 gates and adding 3.1 million square feet of terminal space, a 72% increase[3].
Explain it like I’m 12: The airlines agreed to pay higher rent and fees, and in return the City builds them better gates.
Why the plan got slower and bigger
The 2018 plan said construction would take about eight years, finishing in 2026[3]. Under the current schedule the last gates open in 2034[4]. The budget figure the City uses has moved from $8.5 billion[1] to $8.8 billion[4].
A May 2024 compromise had Concourse D and the Global Terminal going first, with Concourse E pushed back[7]. In August 2026 the City and its airline partners agreed to start E Phase 1 sooner[4][9].
Explain it like I’m 12: Big projects at a busy airport take longer because you can only close a little bit at a time.
New Concourse D: the first new building
The City broke ground on New Concourse D in August 2025, calling it a $1.3 billion, 19-gate investment[6].
In 2026 the City signed a $1.455 billion guaranteed maximum price with AECOM Hunt Clayco Bowa, at least $21 million under the approved budget, with completion set for late 2028[5].
Explain it like I’m 12: A guaranteed maximum price is like a builder promising, in writing, the job won’t cost more than a set amount.
New Concourse E: the swing space
E Phase 1 adds 14 gates, breaks ground later in 2026 and opens in 2030[4]. When finished, Concourse E will have 24 gates in a multilevel building of about 460,000 square feet west of Concourse D[4].
Those 14 gates give the airport enough room to move flights while Terminal 2 comes down and the Global Terminal goes up[4].
Explain it like I’m 12: You need somewhere to park the planes before you knock down the old building.
The O’Hare Global Terminal: the centerpiece
The Global Terminal replaces Terminal 2. It is meant to put domestic airlines and their international partners in one building so connecting passengers skip the people-mover ride to Terminal 5[2]. It is planned at about 2.2 million square feet, roughly twice today’s Terminal 2[8].
Under the 2026 plan it is built in one coordinated phase starting in 2029 and finishing in 2033[4].
Explain it like I’m 12: One big building where your domestic flight and your international flight are just down the hall from each other.
Who pays and who decides
The program is paid for by airport users through higher terminal rents and landing fees that back airport bonds, not by city taxpayers[2][3]. So airline agreement is part of almost every big sequencing decision, and the 2026 change was announced with hub-carrier support[9].
Lease approvals, bonds and many contracts go to the City Council[2].
Explain it like I’m 12: Whoever pays the bill gets a big say in the order things get built.
Timeline
- Mar 28, 2018
- May 12, 2018New Airline Use and Lease Agreement takes effect[1].
- May 2024Compromise sequence: Concourse D and the Global Terminal first, Concourse E later[7].
- Aug 2025Groundbreaking on New Concourse D ($1.3B, 19 gates)[6].
- 2026$1.455B guaranteed maximum price locked for Concourse D[5].
- Aug 20, 2026Resequence announced: E Phase 1 (14 gates) breaks ground later in 2026[4].
- Late 2028
- 2029–2033O’Hare Global Terminal built in one phase[4].
- 2030E Phase 1 opens, 14 gates[4].
- 2034E Phase 2 adds 10 gates, 24 total[4].
Key numbers
Photo gallery
Watch
CDA’s official introduction to the ORDNext program.
Video: Chicago Department of Aviation · YouTube
Walk-through of the 19-gate Concourse D now under construction.
Video: Chicago Department of Aviation · YouTube
CDA overview of the terminal modernization.
Video: Chicago Department of Aviation · YouTube
The first big O’Hare 21 terminal piece to open.
Video: Chicago Department of Aviation · YouTube
Construction-manager drone footage of the T5 expansion.
Video: Power Construction · YouTube
How smaller firms became prime contractors on O’Hare 21 trade packages.
Video: Turner Paschen Aviation Partners · YouTube
Airfield enabling work that clears space for the new concourses.
Video: Turner Paschen Aviation Partners · YouTube
Design-news coverage of the Studio ORD Global Terminal design (2019).
Video: Dezeen · YouTube
Latest Updates · What City Hall Decided · What’s Next
Latest updates
- BidOct 13, 2026CDA advertised Airside and Landside Concrete and Maintenance for O’Hare and Midway (Spec 1300457A / RFQ 77421), Work Services. Pre-bid Oct. 20, 10:00 a.m. CT at O’Hare Airport Administration Building, 10510 W. Zemke Rd.; questions due Oct. 27; response due Nov. 18, 2026. Source: Chicago DPS Vendor, Contract & Payment Search ↗
- NoteOct 2026ConstructConnect lists New Concourse E subcontract trade packages in sub-bidding (Oct. 14 bid date listed; Jan. 2, 2027 start). Confirm dates on FlyChicago Bids & Contracts / eProcurement before relying on them. Source: ConstructConnect listing ↗
- PermitOct 5, 2026Caisson (foundation) permit issued for the first phase of the New Concourse E, designed by SOM, ahead of the late-2026 groundbreaking. Source: Urbanize Chicago ↗
- CDAAug 20, 2026City announces E Phase 1 (14 gates) breaks ground later in 2026; Global Terminal 2029–2033; last 10 E gates by 2034. Source: City of Chicago press release ↗
- CDA2026$1.455B guaranteed maximum price locked for Concourse D, at least $21M under budget; completion late 2028. Source: City of Chicago press release ↗
What City Hall decided
- CouncilMar 28, 2018City Council approves the airline Use and Lease Agreement and up to $4B in bonds, 40–1. Source: Chicago Sun-Times ↗
Bids on the street / what’s next
- Pre-bidOct 20, 2026Airside and Landside Concrete and Maintenance for O’Hare and Midway (Spec 1300457A / RFQ 77421): pre-bid 10:00 a.m. CT at O’Hare Airport Administration Building, 10510 W. Zemke Rd. Questions due Oct. 27; response due Nov. 18. Source: Chicago DPS Vendor, Contract & Payment Search ↗
- BidNov 18, 2026Airside and Landside Concrete and Maintenance (Spec 1300457A / RFQ 77421) response due. Replaces the cancelled April 2026 Spec 1300457 listing on the CDA buying plan. Source: Chicago DPS Vendor, Contract & Payment Search ↗
- BidOct 2026New Concourse E Project trade packages advertised by CDA (Phase 1, 14 gates); check CDA Bids & Contracts for due dates and addenda. Source: FlyChicago Bids & Contracts ↗
- BidNov 2, 2026Taxiway V Reconstruction at O’Hare (Spec 1343564 / RFQ 76322): DPS Vendor Contract Search now lists Response Due Date Nov. 2, 2026 (was Oct. 16); Comments reference Addendum #2 (AD DATE 10/21). Confirm in eProcurement. Source: Chicago DPS Vendor, Contract & Payment Search ↗
- BidOct 27, 2026Grade Separated Service Roadway A3/A4 at O’Hare (Spec 1343562): advertised Sept 15, 2026; Addendum #1 moved bid opening to Oct 27. Source: Chicago DPS Vendor, Contract & Payment Search ↗
- BidOct 28, 2026Residential Sound Insulation Program Odor Mitigation Phase 2 at Midway and O’Hare (RFQ 77298): Addendum #2 moved bid opening from Oct. 21 to Oct. 28; bid bond required. Source: NoticeRegistry copy of DPS bid notice ↗
- MilestoneLate 2026 → 2034E Phase 1 groundbreaking (late 2026), Concourse D done (2028), E Phase 1 opens (2030), Global Terminal (2033), E Phase 2 (2034). Source: City of Chicago press release ↗
The GOTB angle
GOTB Consulting brings 20+ years of Chicago infrastructure and aviation experience. Contact us to learn more.
For contractors, suppliers and community groups, that means help reading the sequence (D, then E Phase 1, then the Global Terminal), getting certified, finding the right construction managers and getting in front of the packages before they’re advertised.
Working on an O’Hare package? Let’s talk sequence.
Michael E. Brown · GOTB Consulting LLC · (312) 342-6629 · mbrown@gotbconsulting.com
Sources
- City of Chicago press release: airport-airline lease agreement signed, $8.5 billion (Mar. 28, 2018)
- Chicago Sun-Times, City Council approves $8.5 billion O’Hare expansion plan by 40-to-1 vote (Mar. 28, 2018)
- CBS Chicago, City Council Approves O’Hare Airport Expansion Plan (2018)
- City of Chicago, Break Ground on First Phase of the New Concourse E (Aug. 20, 2026)
- City of Chicago, Under-Budget Agreement for New 19-Gate Concourse D (2026)
- City of Chicago press release: Concourse D groundbreaking (Aug. 2025)
- Joint statement from Illinois U.S. senators’ offices on TAP resequencing (Aug. 20, 2026)
- Aviation Week, Chicago O’Hare Changes Construction Sequence for $8.8B Revamp (2026)
- Daily Herald, Fast-tracking O’Hare concourse will speed up global terminal (Aug. 20, 2026)
- ORD21.com, O’Hare Global Terminal project page
Facts checked against public sources as of October 14, 2026. Photos are public domain or Creative Commons; see credits under each image. Figures change; follow the source links for the latest.
Fictional characters from GOTB’s original stories. Real-world facts always link to public sources.