GREEN, Ohio - The Akron-Canton Airport broke ground this morning on a $34 million gate modernization project, the final piece in a 10-year capital improvement plan.

The project will decrease the number of gates at the airport from 11 to nine, a reflection of declining passenger numbers at Akron-Canton in recent years.

Despite those declining numbers, Akron-Canton President and CEO Rick McQueen said investment in the airport is critical.

"It's important to position this facility for the future," said McQueen, who is retiring at the end of the year. "I've been here for 36 years and there have been many ups and downs. The one thing I can always tell you: There's always an up that follows a down."

The project will eventually eliminate five gates in the airport's 1962 terminal addition, a dark, congested space currently used by Delta and American airlines. It will be replaced by a two-level, 41,600-square foot concourse addition adjacent to the terminal area currently used by Spirit and United airlines. The new space will house four new gates, for a total of nine throughout the airport.

Construction is expected to be completed by late 2019 or early 2020, and should have minimal customer impact, according to the airport. The old gate area won't be torn down until the new one is complete.

In addition to new gates, the area will include expanded seating, more power outlets, new food options, a bar, business lounge, mother's room, Kids PlayPort and pet relief area. In addition, the new area will include jet bridges at every gate.

The project is being funded by a combination of federal and local money, plus passenger facility fee revenue.

The project is the capstone in a decade-long, $110-million improvement plan, dubbed CAK 2018, which also included improvements to the terminal ticketing area, the airport entrance road and parking.

The last years of the campaign have occurred during a challenging period for the airport, which has seen a steady decrease in air traffic, losing market share to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, 50 miles north.

Hopkins' loss of its United Airlines hub in 2014 attracted new airlines to Cleveland, dropping fares, and cutting into CAK's niche as a lower-cost air travel alternative. Southwest Airlines, which was Akron-Canton's largest carrier, pulled out of the airport in 2017.

Shortly after Southwest's announcement, McQueen said the decision was made to decrease the number of gates included in the terminal remodel, which originally called for maintaining all 11 gates.

"We went back to the drawing board and right-sized the program, realizing we didn't need as many gates as we thought," he said.

"As we see Northeast Ohio advancing from an economic and tourism standpoint, we need to be ready," McQueen said. "We intend for the facility to be a warm and welcoming first impression for travelers, just like the region. We also know that projects of this scale take a long time to get off the ground, so despite some air service challenges, this is the right time to move forward with construction."