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Bidding Airport Steel and Architectural Metals at O’Hare: A Sub-Tier Guide to The New Concourse E

Explainer · Industry deep dive

Bidding Airport Steel and Architectural Metals at O’Hare: A Sub-Tier Guide to The New Concourse E

O’Hare is building The New Concourse E, and the City’s builder team is now taking bids from trade firms. Steel fabricators, metals suppliers and architectural metal shops have real ways in, but the door you knock on matters. This page explains who buys what, where the metal work sits, which rules touch a sub-tier bid, and what you still need to confirm in the bid documents. Facts are as of October 15, 2026, with a source for each.

As of Oct 15, 2026Sources linkedBid Package #02
O'HARE E METALS SUB-TIER GUIDE
The Auditor, a fictional character from The Infrastructure Guard
The Auditor

I’m The Auditor. I check every claim. Anything I could confirm from an official page has a source number. Anything I could not confirm is tagged verify with the bid documents. Read those tags before you price anything.

The big picture

Big Picture: The City of Chicago does not pick the metal subcontractor itself. Its aviation department hired a builder team, called a construction manager at risk (CMAR), and that team buys the trade packages from local firms.[7] For The New Concourse E that team is AHCB, a joint venture of AECOM/Hunt, Clayco and Bowa.[1][7] The first phase is a 14-gate concourse of about 323,000 square feet with a structural steel and concrete frame.[1][9]

In plain words: A CMAR is like a team captain. The City picks the captain first. Then the captain asks local shops to bid on each piece of the building. If you make or sell metal, you are selling to the shop that wins a piece, or you are bidding on the piece yourself.

14gates in the first phase, scheduled to open in 2030[4]
~323,000square feet in the first phase, per the CDA bid alert[1][9]
17trade packages in Bid Package #02 (TP 2 to 18)[1]
Oct 21pre-bid conference date, per the CDA alert (time and place not stated)[1]
26% / 6%City program-wide MBE / WBE aspirational goals (each bid sets its own)[11]
$8.8BORDNext program, the City’s name for the O’Hare modernization[4]

1Who is who: the buying chain

Follow the money from the City down to you. The CMAR holds the trade-package contracts, so the CMAR is your real bid desk.[7]

City of ChicagoOwner and operator of O’Hare.[7]
Dept. of Aviation (CDA)Runs the program and advertises bid packages.[1][7]
Program managerConnect Chicago Alliance is the CDA’s owner’s representative over the CMARs.[7]
CMAR: AHCBDevelops trade packages, takes bids, holds the trade contracts.[1][7]
Trade package winnerThe prime sub for a package such as misc. metals. Sub-tier firms sell to this firm.

In plain words: Think of a relay. The City and CDA set the race. AHCB hands out the batons. Whoever wins a metal package carries it, and they need fabricators, plate and sheet suppliers and finishers behind them. That is where a sub-tier shop runs.

Steel-and-glass arched ceiling over a busy existing concourse at O'Hare
Steel and glass overhead in an existing O’Hare concourse. Not Concourse E.
Arched steel ceiling above shops and gate signs in an existing O'Hare concourse
Existing concourse metalwork: arches, railings, signs. Not Concourse E.
Bright terminal hall at O'Hare with sculptural white columns
Architectural finishes in a current O’Hare terminal hall. Not Concourse E.

2Where the steel and metal work sits

Metal work on Concourse E is spread over a few packages. Bid Package #02 has 17 trade packages from concrete to elevators.[1] The two that are mostly metal are below, plus the structural steel package that came out earlier.

TP 5 · 05B

Misc. Metals & Stairs

In Bid Package #02Due date: verify
  • Metal stairs
  • Railings
  • Pit ladders and grates
  • Pipe guards
  • Loose lintels
  • Corner guards
  • Metal ladders
  • Luggage rails
  • Masonry wall supports
  • Bollards

A furnish-and-install package: all interior and exterior metal stairs and railings with their finishes, plus miscellaneous metals.[1] Bidders here are fabricators with ironworkers. Plate, shape and sheet suppliers quote to them.

TP 8 · 07C

Metal Wall Panels (and louvers)

In Bid Package #02Spec details: verify
  • Metal panels
  • Louvers
  • Aesthetic match
  • Above precast and window wall

Furnish and install all metal panels and louvers above the architectural precast and window walls. The alert says the panels and louvers are to have “similar aesthetic features to camouflage louver locations around the concourse.”[1] That is a design-sensitive scope, so custom panel fabricators, finishers and designers can help the bidder get it right.

BP #01 · 05A

Structural Steel & Metal Decking

Earlier packageAward status: verify
  • Structural steel
  • Metal deck
  • Fabrication
  • Erection

Procurement, fabrication and installation of the structural steel and metal deck for the concourse building structure.[2] This was released first as Bid Package #01: advertised Sept. 6, released Sept. 9, pre-bid conference Sept. 16, 2026.[2] AHCB still lists 05A on its Concourse E page.[9]

Metal-adjacent

Packages with metal content

Supplier routesScope splits: verify
  • 07B snow guards
  • 11A facade maintenance
  • 23A ductwork
  • 08D window wall

Several other packages carry smaller metal scopes. 07B Roofing includes snow guard systems.[1] 11A Facade Maintenance Equipment is engineered and furnished, with installation by others.[1] 23A HVAC includes ductwork, a sheet-metal supply opportunity for the mechanical bidder.[1] 08D Window Wall and Skylights covers curtain wall and storefront systems.[1]

Verify with the bid documents: AHCB’s Concourse E page lists 18 trade-package rows, including 05A, while the CDA alert for Bid Package #02 lists 17 (TP 2 to 18). Confirm exactly which package carries which scope, and whether the numbering changed.[1][9]

Also on the AHCB watch list

AHCB lists other O’Hare packages with metal scopes on its public projects page. Statuses there are shown as “Step” numbers whose meaning is not explained publicly, so check the page directly.[9]

Satellite 1: Ornamental MetalListed with prequalification open.
Concourse D: Misc. MetalsListed with prequalification open.
Later Concourse E packagesThe second phase adds 10 more gates by 2034, so more metal scopes should follow.[4]

3Pick your door

There is no single way in. Most small metal shops use door 2 or door 3, and many use both.

1

Prime sub: bid the package yourself

You bid straight to AHCB for a whole trade package, such as misc. metals and stairs. You must prequalify with AHCB before you submit a bid.[1][5]

  • Register on the AHCB bid registration form first.[8]
  • AHCB builds its bid lists from the self-performed scope and NAICS codes you enter, so choose them with care.[10] Fabricated structural metal, ornamental and architectural metalwork and metal service centers each have their own codes.[28]
  • On an older AHCB package, prequalification asked for OSHA logs, a safety manual, insurance, a surety letter, a W-9, a work-in-progress schedule, a bank reference letter and audited financials.[25][26]

Verify with the bid documents: the 2026 prequalification checklist. The list above comes from 2021 materials.

2

Sub-tier: sell to the package winner

You supply or fabricate for the firm that wins the package. The CDA alert says sub-tier subcontractors and suppliers need not prequalify.[1][2]

  • That is the usual door for plate, shape, coil and sheet suppliers, and for custom shops that make railings, panels or louvers.
  • Your buyer, the package winner, may still ask for insurance, safety records and references. Sell to them like any prime sub would expect.
  • ORD21 notes that not every CMAR requires prequalification before bidding, but successful bidders must complete it.[5]

Verify with the bid documents: what the winning prime sub will ask of you, and whether a supplier or sub-tier firm must enroll in any insurance or compliance system.

3

Certified teammate: count toward goals

If you hold MBE or WBE certification in the right area of specialty, you are a strong teammate for any bidder who needs to meet participation goals.[11]

  • Certification can come from the City of Chicago or Cook County.[11]
  • Credit depends on what you are: a manufacturer counts differently from a supplier. See the rules section below.[11]
  • A firm without certification can still win on price, schedule and quality.

Verify with the bid documents: the MBE/WBE goals for each trade package. They are not in the public alert.

Questions go only to the designated inbox, with the subject line the alert requires: ConcourseE@AHCJV.com, subject “The New Concourse E Project at O’Hare International Airport – Bid Package 02”.[1]

4The rules that touch a sub-tier bid

Not every rule below applies to every firm. Several are written for prime bidders and flow down to the people they buy from. Each card ends with what you still need to confirm.

MBE and WBE participation

City construction contracts carry program-wide aspirational goals of 26% MBE and 6% WBE. Each bid sets its own contract-specific goals, measured against the bid.[11] On four earlier AHCB packages, goals ran from 10% to 29% MBE and 2% to 7% WBE.[24]

Only certified firms count, only for work in their certified area of specialty, and only if they perform a “commercially useful function.” If you need a new area added, ask at least 30 calendar days before bid opening.[11]

100%of spend counts when the certified firm is a manufacturer that produces the goods on its own premises
60%counts when the certified firm is a regular dealer or supplier
0%counts when the firm is a broker, a pass-through with no useful function

A regular dealer in steel need not keep stock if it owns or operates distribution equipment.[11]

Verify with the bid documents: the contract-specific MBE/WBE goals, and whether AHCB uses the City’s Schedules C, D and H or its own forms for sub-bids.

The paperwork, in plain words

On City construction bids, the bidder files a Schedule D compliance plan with the bid, plus a Schedule C letter of intent for each certified firm it lists, and a Schedule F report of solicitations.[11][13] If the plan falls short, the bidder files Schedule H (good-faith efforts) within three business days after being told it is the apparent low bidder.[11] Good-faith outreach must happen at least seven days before bids are due to count.[11]

In plain words: If you are a certified supplier or shop, expect a bidder to ask you for a priced letter of intent early. Be ready with your certification letter, your scope and your price.

Verify with the bid documents: the due date for Schedules C and D and the deadline for outreach. Do not publish or rely on a date until you have it from the bid documents.

Prevailing wage and certified payroll

The Illinois Prevailing Wage Act requires contractors and subcontractors on public works to pay at least the prevailing hourly wage plus fringe benefits, and to post the rates on site.[19] The state publishes current Cook County rates, effective September 21, 2026.[20] AHCB has told subcontractors on earlier O’Hare packages to comply with the Act and to submit weekly certified payroll.[24] ORD21 also lists certified payrolls from all tiers among payment documents.[7]

Verify with the bid documents: the prevailing wage and certified payroll terms in the contract, and who files for sub-tier firms and suppliers.

City residency hiring

ORD21 says the Municipal Code requires that at least 50% of work hours on O’Hare 21 work valued at $100,000 or more be performed by City residents, and at least 7.5% by residents of the “project area.” Non-compliance can bring liquidated damages.[7]

Verify with the bid documents: how these hours apply to a supplier or fabricator, and whether shop hours count.

Buy America and federal rules

Buy American. On projects funded through the FAA’s Airport Improvement Program (AIP), steel and manufactured goods must be produced in the United States unless the FAA grants a waiver.[21][22] If it applies, it hits steel sourcing hard, because mill certifications and origin documents matter.

DBE. Federal airport DBE rules apply to federally assisted work and use the Illinois Unified Certification Program.[14][16][17][18] ORD21 notes DBE goals for the federally funded Terminal 3 project.[7]

Verify with the bid documents: whether any federal funds, Buy America clauses or DBE goals apply to Concourse E packages. Nothing public confirms either way.

Bonds, insurance, airfield access and payment

ORD21 says bidders and their subcontractors must show they can provide required bonds and insurance, and that the CMAR may use subcontractor default insurance in place of a bond on some bids.[7] The City may use an owner-controlled insurance program.[7] Retention is not held on O’Hare 21, and CMAR training covers airfield credentials, working inside the fence and driving privileges.[7]

Verify with the bid documents: the bond or SDI requirement, insurance enrollment, and whether the accelerated 50/50 payment program for large CMAR invoices reaches sub-tier firms.[7]

Bid incentives and small-business programs

For O’Hare 21, bidders may use City bid incentives such as an EEO incentive, a City-based business incentive and a diverse workforce incentive. DPS programs such as the Small Business Initiative, Mid-Sized Business Initiative and Mentor/Protege may also apply.[7] CDA runs Small Business Resource Centers for one-on-one help.[23] Certified firms are searchable in the City directory.[15]

Verify with the bid documents: which incentives and programs apply to your package.

City rules come from the City’s current construction MBE/WBE special conditions. Package-specific goals and forms control. An older archived CDA version of the same rules is also linked in the sources for comparison.[11][12]

5What a metals buyer is likely to ask you

This card is general industry practice, not a stated requirement of any Concourse E package. Your real list is in the specification sections.

  • Shop drawings and submittals. Can you produce and revise them on the schedule the spec sets?
  • Material origin and test papers. Where was the steel made, and can you show mill certifications? This matters most if Buy America applies.
  • Finish and sample approval. For railings, panels and louvers, expect questions about finish, color match and mock-ups.
  • Fabricator qualifications. Structural steel fabricators are often asked about certification and welding procedures. AISC certification[29]
  • Delivery inside the airfield. Deliveries and crews work inside a secured area, so ask how credentials and escorts work.[7]
  • Capacity and schedule. First-phase construction is expected to start in late 2026, with the first 14 gates opening in 2030.[3][4]

6Your six-step path

Commons, a fictional character from The Infrastructure Guard
Commons

I’m Commons. Money moves where people show up early, so here is the order I would work in.

1

Register with AHCB

Complete the AHCB registration form so you get bid notifications, with accurate scope and NAICS codes.[8][10]

2

Prequalify if you will bid a package

Prime subs must prequalify before bidding. Sub-tier firms and suppliers need not, per the CDA alert.[1][5]

3

Get the bid documents for your trade

Read the scope, schedule, MBE/WBE goals and the forms. This is where every verify tag on this page gets answered.

4

Go to the pre-bid conference

Wednesday, October 21, 2026, per the CDA bid alert. The alert does not give a time, place or format.[1]

5

Ask questions the right way

Use only the designated inbox and the required subject line. Watch for addenda after the pre-bid.[1]

6

Price for the sub-bid deadline, not the City’s date

Prime subs bid to AHCB, so the date that matters to a supplier is the one your buyer sets. Ask each bidder when they need your quote.

7Key dates

  1. Aug 20, 2026
    The City announces it will break ground on the first phase of The New Concourse E later this year, with the first 14 gates opening in 2030 and the final 10 gates in 2034.[4]
  2. Sept 6, 9 and 16, 2026
    Bid Package #01 (structural steel and metal decking): advertised Sept. 6, released Sept. 9, pre-bid conference Sept. 16.[2]
  3. Sept 21, 2026
    New Illinois prevailing wage rates take effect for public works in each county.[20]
  4. Oct 4, 2026
    Bid Package #02 is advertised and an opportunity to prequalify is issued.[1][27]
  5. Oct 14, 2026
    Bid Package #02 bid documents are released.[1]
  6. Wed, Oct 21, 2026
    Pre-bid conference for Bid Package #02, per the CDA bid alert. Time, place and format are not stated in the alert. Verify on the bid documents or with AHCB.[1]
  7. Bid due date
    Not stated in the public alert. Verify with the bid documents. Other websites list dates that disagree with each other, so this page does not publish one.
  8. Late 2026 to 2030
    First-phase construction is expected to begin in late 2026, with the first 14 gates scheduled to open in 2030.[3][4]

8What is confirmed and what is not

Confirmed in official sources

  • The New Concourse E first phase: 14 gates, about 323,000 square feet, steel and concrete frame[1][9]
  • AHCB (AECOM/Hunt, Clayco, Bowa) is the CMAR[1][7]
  • Bid Package #02 advertised Oct. 4 and released Oct. 14, 2026[1]
  • Pre-bid conference date, Oct. 21, 2026[1]
  • Sub-tier subcontractors and suppliers need not prequalify[1]
  • 05B Misc. Metals and Stairs and 07C Metal Wall Panels are in Bid Package #02[1]
  • City MBE/WBE program goals: 26% and 6%[11]
  • Manufacturer 100%, regular dealer 60%, broker 0% credit[11]
  • Illinois prevailing wage rates effective Sept. 21, 2026[20]
  • Buy American applies to AIP-funded projects[21]

Verify with the bid documents

  • Bid due date and time (do not rely on third-party listings)
  • Pre-bid time, place and format
  • Contract-specific MBE/WBE goals for each trade package
  • Whether AHCB uses City Schedules C, D, H or its own forms for sub-bids
  • Questions deadline and any addenda issued
  • Whether Cook County certification is accepted on each package (the City’s current rules accept it)[11]
  • Whether Buy America, federal DBE goals or other federal terms apply to Concourse E
  • Status or award of structural steel and metal deck (05A)
  • 2026 prequalification checklist (the list on this page is from 2021 and 2023 materials)[24][25][26]
  • Whether 18 trade-package rows (AHCB page) or 17 (CDA alert) is the current count[1][9]

9Sources

  1. CDA Bid Alert: The New Concourse E Project at O'Hare International Airport, Bid Package #02 (Oct. 14, 2026). Sent by the Chicago Department of Aviation to the City's public bid-alert subscriber list (sign up for City bid notifications)
  2. CDA Bid Alert, Bid Package #01, Structural Steel and Metal Decking (Sept. 8, 2026), same subscriber list (sign up for City bid notifications)
  3. ORD21: The New Concourse E (project page)
  4. City of Chicago press release: Mayor Johnson and CDA to break ground on first phase of The New Concourse E (Aug. 20, 2026)
  5. ORD21 Bids and Contracts: Upcoming (prequalification)
  6. ORD21 Bids and Contracts: Active
  7. ORD21: Understanding the Business Process (CMAR roles, incentives, residency, payment, bonding)
  8. AHCB registration form
  9. AHCB projects page (Work Order 12: The New Concourse E trade packages)
  10. AHCB home page (how bid lists are built)
  11. City of Chicago DPS: Special Conditions, MBE/WBE/VBE Commitment in Construction Contracts (current) (PDF)
  12. CDA/FlyChicago archived Special Conditions, MBE/WBE in Construction (version dated Aug. 5, 2019; archived, for comparison) (PDF)
  13. City DPS standard forms and agreements (Schedules C and D, special conditions)
  14. City DPS: M/W/VBE certification (DBE/ACDBE/BEPD) and IL UCP
  15. City DPS: directory of certified MBE, WBE, DBE and BEPD firms
  16. IDOT: DBE certification and the Illinois Unified Certification Program
  17. FAA: Airport Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program
  18. eCFR: 49 CFR Part 26, Participation by DBEs in DOT financial assistance programs
  19. Illinois Department of Labor: Prevailing Wage Act
  20. Illinois Department of Labor: current prevailing rates by county (rates effective Sept. 21, 2026)
  21. FAA: Buy American Preference Requirements (AIP)
  22. 49 U.S.C. 50101: Buying goods produced in the United States
  23. CDA Small Business Resource Centers (one-on-one help)
  24. AHCB pre-bid conference deck, Work Order 09 Bid Package 01 (2023; an older package, shown as an example of how AHCB runs bids, verify for 2026) (PDF)
  25. AHCB Aviation Learning Series, Session 2 (2021; older, verify) (PDF)
  26. AHCB Aviation Learning Series, Session 3 (2021; older, verify) (PDF)
  27. NoticeRegistry: third-party copy of the Oct. 4, 2026 AHCB prequalification notice (a copy, not an official source)
  28. U.S. Census Bureau: North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)
  29. AISC: certification program (general industry reference; not a stated requirement for this package)

This page summarizes public notices, official pages and published rules as of October 15, 2026. It is not an official government publication, not legal advice and not a substitute for the bid documents. Dates, goals and requirements can change by addendum. Confirm each item with the bid documents and the linked source before you rely on it.

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Meet Michael E. Brown

President and Managing Partner, GOTB Consulting, LLC · Chicago

Michael E. Brown has 20+ years of governmental and municipal consulting and lobbying experience. He was lead contract negotiator on the $8.5B O’Hare 21 program and the $800M O’Hare rail extension, and lead lobbyist and contract negotiator on the $400M Chicago Department of Water Management lateral redevelopment. (Dollar figures are program sizes, not GOTB fees.)

He has worked with the Illinois legislature and public officials on public-private partnership (P3) policy, and has consulted to the Cook County Commission on reducing duplicative administrative offices. He is a frequent speaker at governmental and municipal functions, focuses on good government and healthier social and economic solutions for safe, successful neighborhoods, lives in Chicago, and serves on the Board of the March of Dimes.

  • M.S., Psychology (1997), University of Iowa
  • B.S., Psychology (1995), University of Iowa
20+ years in municipal consulting$8.5B O’Hare 21 program$800M O’Hare rail extension$400M DWM lateral redevelopment
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Meet Richard Butler

Partner, GOTB Consulting, LLC · Chicago

Richard (Rich) Butler is a partner at GOTB Consulting and a 38-year veteran of Chicago city government. From August 2019 to February 2020 he served as First Deputy Commissioner and Chief Administrative Officer of the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA), responsible for day-to-day administration and operations of O’Hare and Midway, including finance, contracts, operations, legal, human resources, workforce development, concessions, real estate and vehicle services. CDA manages the two airports with a federally funded budget of $8.5 billion. (Dollar figures are budget and program sizes, not GOTB fees.)

Before that, Rich was First Deputy Procurement Officer at the City’s Department of Procurement Services and Chief Administrative Officer of the Chicago Park District, where he oversaw procurement, audit, finance, warehousing and general administrative services on an estimated annual budget of $385 million and established district-wide policies and procedures. His City career began at the Department of Aviation as Director of Contracts Administration, and he also served as General Superintendent of the Department of Streets and Sanitation.

He completed the Chicago Accounting and Purchasing System Training Program and the City of Chicago Executive Management Program, was a key team member on the design and implementation plan for the City’s new eProcurement system, and is a member of the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing and the Purchasing Management Association of Chicago. He has served on the board of the Chicago Municipal Employees Credit Union and on the US Communities board, representing the City of Chicago, and traveled to South Korea to represent Chicago in the Kotra Alliance to bridge contracting opportunities. A native of Englewood, he attended De La Salle High School.

  • B.S., Northern Illinois University
38 years in Chicago city governmentFirst Deputy Commissioner, Chicago Department of Aviation$385M Chicago Park District budget$8.5B CDA federally funded budget
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