New F&B opportunities up for grabs at Chicago O’Hare

Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield has announced that four new leasing opportunities are up for grabs in Chicago O’Hare’s newly modernised and expanded Terminal 5.

The Terminal 5 leasing opportunity is open to all businesses, and URW has evolved its Competitive Evaluation Process (CEP) to encourage small, local business and ACDBE participation.

In addition, to better serve customers, URW is challenging bidders to deliver proposals with an eye toward technology and innovation, customer trends and that highlight their commitment to sustainability and positive social impact.

These four leasing opportunities represent 5,680 square feet and are separate from the RFP packages released by Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) last month.

Three of the spaces are additions to the Terminal 5 post-security commercial offering, created out of existing space that was repurposed for the dining and retail programme. The fourth space will be on the arrivals level pre-security.

“Terminal 5 is changing, its customers are changing, and the commercial programme is evolving with it,” said Brian Petrow, URW’s vice president and asset lead at O’Hare.

“The addition of new carriers and routes is bringing an even more diverse, dynamic customer base into the terminal, and we want the experience to reflect that.”

To make this CEP offering more inclusive, URW has taken a number of steps to encourage small business and ACDBE participation. Each space can be bid on individually or as a group, allowing smaller ventures to bid on a single space instead of multiple at one time.

In addition, URW has streamlined the proposal process and reduced several requirements to remove barriers to entry.

URW are also encouraging firms without previous experience doing business in the airport to attend a virtual information session that will provide information about how to pursue these opportunities. The session is scheduled for 10am CT on Wednesday, August 11.

Construction of the Terminal 5 expansion began in March 2019 to add 10 new gates and 25% more gate capacity. The expanded terminal will include approximately 350,000 square feet of new space, including hold rooms, terminal amenities and premium dining and retail options.

The deadline for proposals is September 29. Learn more and register to attend the informational session at www.urwairports.com/leasing.