The plan is already in place and now the money is available to turn that plan into a reality.

That’s the good news surrounding the future renovation of William P. Hobby Airport (HOU).

Members of the Houston City Council have approved the appropriation of more than 80 million dollars from the Airports Improvement Fund (AIF), to provide dramatic improvements and renovations to the HOU terminal and central concourse.

“It’s going to look like a new facility within the existing footprint,” says Ross Underhill, HOU deputy assistant director. “We’re going to rebuild the airport and modernize it in order to enhance the passenger experience.”

It’s a three year plan that will eventually touch everything from the baggage claim area to the main lobby.

But first, look for a major change in regards to the location of airline ticket counters, with all airlines except Southwest finding a new home in a renovated building just east of the existing counter area.

That shift is expected to take approximately 18 months and Underhill says every day during that time period brings a renewed focus on minimizing construction impact.

“We coordinate on a daily basis with our construction team,” Underhill says. “We spend a lot of time on sequencing and planning, trying to minimize any impact or disruption to the passenger.”

Once that ticket counter project is complete, construction crews will turn their attention to both the baggage claim area and the main lobby.

The lobby work is expected to be especially dramatic, with an entirely new look slated for the main entryway.

Passengers will no longer be immediately funneled to the left or right, but will be able to walk straight ahead where they will find the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoint.

Of course one aspect of Hobby Airport will be remaining the same throughout the construction process and beyond; Passengers will still find HOU to be one of the most user-friendly airport facilities in the country.

“It’s almost like a neighborhood airport,” Underhill says. “People that have lived here for a long time grew up with the airport, so I think it’s just part of the neighborhood and part of the family.”

And what family doesn’t enjoy having their home undergo some touch-up work now and then?