The first phase of the $45 million Mitchell International Airport baggage claim area renovation project will open to the public on Wednesday.
“This is a complete overhaul of the baggage claim area, which features a dramatically improved experience for passengers arriving in Milwaukee,” said airport spokesman Harold Mester.
The entire project is expected to be complete in the summer of 2015. It is entirely funded by airport user fees.
Once complete, the interior and exterior of the baggage claim area will be completely rebuilt, including the addition of a new glass canopy extending over the baggage claim roadway. A new skylight will span the entire length of the building.
“There is so much more glass,” said Mester. “There is a lot of light coming in here.”
The project also includes new baggage carousels, new display signs, new furniture and seating, new flooring, carpeting, interior wall panels and new airline baggage claim area offices.
The original baggage claim area dates back to the 1950s and was last remodeled in the mid-1980s.
The architect for the baggage claim area renovation project is Engberg Anderson Inc. The construction manager is Mortenson Construction and the general contractor is CD Smith Construction Inc.
