The Indianapolis International Airport Parking Garage Expansion is a five level, roughly 500,000 square foot addition located at Indianapolis International Airport in Indianapolis, Indiana, and it has moved well past the 2022 funding approval stage covered previously. Wilhelm Construction completed the roughly $76.6 million, 1,500 space addition in summer 2024, adding a rooftop solar canopy and EV charging to the garage, and the finished project went on to win the American Concrete Institute Indiana Chapter’s 2024 Transportation 2 Award.

Indianapolis International Airport Parking Garage Expansion Now Sits Inside a Larger Solar Push

Indianapolis has since layered a separate, larger solar initiative on top of the garage project: a roughly $47 million canopy program over its surface parking lots, financed mostly through FAA and IRS grants, which the airport reports is now generating power on site and expected to cover about 10 percent of the terminal’s energy needs. That follow on spending contrasts with Fort Wayne International Airport’s approach, where a similarly sized regional airport put a comparable sum into rebuilding its entire terminal rather than parking and energy infrastructure alone.

Project Overview

• Project Name: Indianapolis International Airport Parking Garage Expansion
• Location: Indianapolis International Airport (IND), Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
• Project Value: Approximately $76.6 million for the garage expansion; approximately $47 million for the separate surface lot solar canopy program
• Client/Owner: Indianapolis Airport Authority
• Main Contractor: Wilhelm Construction, general contractor for the garage expansion
• Construction/Project Management: Messer Construction Co.; Turner-Trotter-Nubian team handled landside construction management
• Architect: Cripe, with CSO Inc. having completed the original 2019 design engagement
• Key Components: Five level, approximately 500,000 square foot garage addition; roughly 1,450 to 1,500 new parking spaces, about 1,000 reserved for rental car fleets and the remainder for public parking; rooftop solar canopy with EV charging on the garage; separate solar canopy program now covering additional surface parking lots
• Funding Source: Municipal bonds serviced by airport parking fee revenue; FAA and IRS grants covering about 85 percent of the surface lot solar canopy program
• Completion: Garage expansion completed summer 2024; surface lot solar canopy program reported operational in 2026
• Recognition: American Concrete Institute, Indiana Chapter, 2024 Transportation 2 Award

Project Team

• Client/Owner: Indianapolis Airport Authority
• General Contractor (Garage Expansion): Wilhelm Construction
• Construction/Project Management: Messer Construction Co.
• Landside Construction Management: Turner-Trotter-Nubian Team
• Architect: Cripe

Reported 16th July 2022: After the COVID-19 outbreak caused a more than two-year delay, plans for a $76.6 million parking garage expansion project at the Indianapolis International Airport are once again moving forward. The board of the Indianapolis Airport Authority approved money for the five-story, 1,500-spot extension near the existing parking structure’s north side in June.

Car rental firms will use about 1,000 of the spaces, with the remaining places reserved for daily or hourly parking. Many rental car agencies are increasing the number of vehicles in their fleets and switching over to more electric ones (the airport separately plans to add chargers to support more EVs). Additionally, the airport is facing a shortage of spaces in the garage, with at least two floors at or near capacity most days of a given week.

Indianapolis Int’l Airport proposed parking design

It will be possible for the garage expansion to blend in with the current building because it will be connected to it and built in a similar style. As a result, it is anticipated that there will be certain disruptions in the current facility, such as the absence of spaces in the area of the building during construction.

The $14.4 million fifth-level roof with solar panels is part of the extension, and it will power the parking garage. The airport already has several electric vehicles available for users, but more are anticipated to be added as part of upcoming renovation initiatives.

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“There are actually two main advantages,” said Jarod Klaas, senior director of planning and development for the airport authority, ding that “our goal to continue to offer a first-rate experience and convenience was a major factor in the decision to take the project forward.”

As part of a master planning effort, Klaas said lengthy discussions on the airport’s parking options are already under process, including if additional garages may be added. The airport’s current parking structure contains 7,100 spaces across five floors, 1,200 of which are reserved for rental vehicle fleets and 5,900 of which are for paid public parking.