GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Recent changes to Gerald R. Ford International Airport have been enough to make at least one passenger wonder if they landed at the right hub.

Indeed they had, and there's more to come in making the facility more vibrant with additional passenger amenities compared to what once was a "sterile" environment, said Brian Ryks, the airport's executive director.

Ford Airport leaders and other local officials joined Wednesday to officially unveil the newly overhauled and expanded Concourse B. Located on the north end of the terminal, it's home to a renovated MI Tap Room Restaurant and Bar, Grand Rapids Magazine travel store and passenger seating area, among other conveniences.

Each gate features large, West Michigan-themed murals to welcome incoming and outgoing fliers. Southwest, Allegiant and United airlines operate out of Concourse B.

"This is why first impressions matter to our community," Ryks said.

"It was a very, frankly, a very gray concourse that really didn't have much color or vitality. ... As people step off the aircraft, they can get a sense of what West Michigan is all about."

Officials peg the project as the next phase of several large renovations at Ford Airport. In December 2013, the Kalamazoo-based Bell's Brewery established a location inside the Grand Hall, including a new Greens Restaurant and a refreshed façade at Starbucks.

Concourse A underwent a refresh, too, though not quite as expansive as B, with new seating, carpeting and passenger hold rooms.

The largest undertaking of consolidating the two existing individual Transportation Security Administration checkpoints within one expanded Grand Hall and marketplace area likely won't begin until this fall or early 2016.

"One of the things that certainly hurts us, at least prior to this project, is we had very limited concessions and retail opportunities after security screening," Ryks said. "People want to get though screening first, and then they want to relax. ... That's what the goal of this redesign has been."

More: New Ford Airport logo revealed ahead of multi-million dollar projects

Grand Rapids' "beer city" moniker also will have a presence beyond the Bell's location. MI Tap Room offers both domestic and local brews for customers.

The total cost for renovations made to Concourse A and B equates to $12.3 million, officials say.

Andrew Krietz covers breaking, politics and transportation news for MLive and The Grand Rapids Press. Email him at akrietz@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter.