OUR WHOLE
community IS
TAKING OFF.
With an expanded concourse, a new control tower, more parking, enhanced rental car capabilities and improved baggage inspection technology, Elevate is taking travel—and West Michigan—to new heights.
Community Business Supporters





























































Legislators and Sources of Funding
Senator Peters
Secured more than $1.2 million in federal funding in FY22 to implement safety upgrades and expand Gerald R. Ford International Airport. The Congressionally Directed Spending funds will help to support the expansion and widening of Concourse A, which includes safety upgrades, such as an updated fire alarm and public address system. Thanks to Senator Peters’ work, the FY23 Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) budget includes funding for the design of a new Air Traffic Control Tower.

Senator Stabenow
Thanks to Senator Stabenow’s work, the FY23 Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) budget includes funding for the design of a new Air Traffic Control Tower at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport.

Former Representative Meijer
Supported H.R. 2471, the Fiscal Year 2022 Consolidated Appropriations Act that will help to fund the Concourse A Expansion and Widening project. Representative Meijer continues to advocate for and support federal investment in a new Air Traffic Control Tower at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport.

Representative Moolenaar
Representative Moolenaar continues to advocate for and support federal investment in a new Air Traffic Control Tower at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport.

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
The Gerald R. Ford International Airport will receive $8,687,870 from U.S. DOT’s Airport Terminal Grant Program, made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, or BIL, to support the addition of eight new passenger boarding bridges on its Concourse A expansion and widening project.

Contractors











Artists
George Eberhardt III – Terrazzo Artist
George Eberhardt III, inspired by aspects of Katsushika Hokusai’s “The Great Wave off Kanagawa,” referenced Lake Michigan and its water elements in his design that measures a diameter of 15 feet.
With a background in program development and curriculum design, Eberhardt focuses on enriching the lives of youth and diverse communities as an artist, muralist and art teacher.
A previous ArtPrize winner, Eberhardt’s mural work can be seen across West Michigan with pieces at Slows BBQ in downtown Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids Public Schools, West Grand Neighborhood Organization, Roosevelt Park Neighborhood Association, Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts, among many others.
Instagram: @the_third_ge


George Eberhardt’s terrazzo design
Kim Nguyen – Terrazzo Artist
As the selected artist for the City category, Kim Nguyen referenced the cities and towns of Grand Rapids and surrounding West Michigan areas, while also including representations of Grand Rapids’ agricultural, medical and manufacturing industries in her terrazzo floor design. Her installation will pay homage to our community’s former moniker “Furniture City,” while winding the Grand River and Grand Rapids’ proximity to the shores of Lake Michigan.
As a designer and illustrator, Nguyen’s previous clients include Sweetwaters Café, Universal Music Group and Adult Swim. Nguyen was also selected as one of the 27 local artists to paint portraits of influential women on mechanical boxes located throughout downtown Grand Rapids, as part of Downtown Grand Rapids Inc.’s “Rad Women” public art project.
Website: thaikim.com
Instagram: @thaikim


Kim Nguyen’s terrazzo design
I am overjoyed and feel incredibly honored to be one of the artists helping new residents and future travelers see the beauty of our home through artwork beneath their feet. I have always felt a fondness for airports because they bring me the thrill of travel, and in the case of Ford International Airport, the relieving feeling of being almost home.
I have a photograph where I am two years old and meeting my three older brothers at Ford International Airport, it is there that I met them and my grandparents for the very first time. Though I was born in Grand Rapids, my family are refugees and immigrants from Vietnam, and I can’t imagine what they felt when they landed here in West Michigan.
Kim Nguyen
Maureen Nollette – Terrazzo Artist
Maureen Nollette, inspired by a photograph she took of a Sand Cherry shrub on a roadside beach in Michigan, created designs to showcase the vastness of the Lake Michigan Dunes and the region’s native flora.
She is currently a visiting assistant professor at Grand Valley State University in the department of visual & media arts. Nollette was a resident artist for the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation and Ngo Le Korsa Project in Sinthian, Africa, as well as a resident artist for the Marble House Project in Dorset, Vermont.
Her collections can be found at the Detroit Institute of the Arts, J. Jill Group, MGM Mirage Hotel and Yves St. Laurent.
Website: nollettestudio.com
Instagram: @maureen.nollette


Maureen Nollette’s terrazzo designs
Michael Pfleghaar – Terrazzo Artist
Michael Pfleghaar recently completed a collection of plein air paintings which was translated into his terrazzo designs to replicate West Michigan’s natural forestry and agriculture.
Pfleghaar has permanent collections at the Grand Rapids Art Museum, Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park, Steelcase, Inc., Herman Miller, the State of Michigan and Grand Valley State University. Apple, HBO, CBS, ForeSee, Hayworth and Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts are a few of the organizations that have utilized Pfleghaar’s artwork as illustrations.
Website: blog.pfleghaar.com
Instagram: @pfleghaar




Michael Pfleghaar’s terrazzo designs
Stay tuned to learn more about the artists as selections continue.
Economic Impact
Construction impact
gate counters
column enclosures
square feet of metal panels
total metal panels
- Over 13,000 punched holes in a stainless steel column enclosure base
- Over 132 miles of low voltage and copper wiring
- Over 1,200 light fixtures added
- Over 4,300 structural steel pieces
tons of steel decking
lbs of aggregate used within the terrazzo flooring
total number of ceramic tiles
speakers added
tons of concrete reinforcing steel
pieces of custom carpet tiles
total doors
panes of glass
Long-term impact
*Estimated total Elevate capital expansion improvements.
Considered one the top 12 transformational projects that could reshape West Michigan’s ability to attract visitors, new residents, and employers.