The Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) says it will soon break ground on a new fuel-station at O’Hare International (ORD) that will provide airport users and the public with the ability to fill-up with sustainable and traditional fuel sources.
Set to open in November 2019, the O’Hare travel plaza will feature solar power generation and LEED certification, with amenities that include a drive-through restaurant and a convenience store. The travel plaza will dedicate 60 percent of the facility to alternative fuel sources, including E85 ethanol fuel, as well as electric vehicle (EV) charging stations.
“This forward-thinking multi-fuel station demonstrates the CDA’s ongoing efforts to implement sustainability wherever we can as we continue to build a better, more modern airport for our passengers and the surrounding community,” says CDA Commissioner Jamie L. Rhee in a statement.
The $6 million development located at Higgins Road and Patton Drive will create 120-140 construction jobs and a dozen permanent jobs. Petroleum Marketing Group (PMG) with operate the plaza and the CDA notes the project will meet minority- and women-owned business participation goals of 25 percent MBE / 5 percent WBE for construction, and a 20 percent ACDBE participation plan once operational.
