With a mandate to get shovels in the ground for O’Hare Airport’s expansion and smooth newly strained relations between United and American Airlines, Mayor Brandon Johnson on Monday chose a former bureaucrat-turned-executive to be Chicago’s new aviation commissioner.
Michael McMurray, president of transportation and infrastructure at Wight & Company, replaces Jamie Rhee, who was dumped as part of Johnson’s belated housecleaning of holdovers appointed by former Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
McMurray, 62, said his No. 1 priority is to begin construction this summer on a 19-gate satellite concourse at O’Hare, part of the airport’s multibillion-dollar expansion.
“Getting that going is huge. Everything else pretty much stems from that. It’s imperative that we … get the shovels in the ground,” McMurray told the Sun-Times.
To cut costs and appease the two major airlines footing much of the bill, Johnson changed the order of construction.
The new agreement allows the city to build the satellite concourse while planning a phased construction of the global terminal that would replace what is now Terminal 2. A second satellite concourse, with a connecting tunnel, will be completed only if sufficient funds remain after other work is finished.
The city will provide regular cost estimates and also will need approval from United and American before either cutting the scope of the project or spending more than $6.1 billion.
McMurray vowed to do “everything in my power” to deliver both projects at a time when President Donald Trump’s tariffs have had a chilling effect on everything from the cost of construction materials and supply chains to consumer demand for travel.
“My hope is everything will continue to proceed as it’s been planned out,” McMurray said. “That’s my every intention. But obviously, I’ll take a look at things and maybe give it sort of a fresh perspective coming from the private sector, leveraging my government experience and maybe find some efficiencies there.”
McMurray is an attorney and former private sector construction executive who also has extensive experience in government. His resume includes stints as an assistant state’s attorney, senior counsel for the United Auto Workers Union and stops along the way at the Chicago Housing Authority and the city departments of Aviation, General Services, Procurement Services and the Chicago Housing Authority.
He will need all of those experiences and skills to keep the massive O’Hare modernization project on track.
Late last week, American Airlines filed a lawsuit against the city accusing the Johnson administration of breaching the lease agreement negotiated in 2018 by former Mayor Rahm Emanuel. The suit claims Johnson’s team prematurely reorganized gates, a move that gives more space to its rival, United Airlines.
“The fact that demand is up at O’Hare and airlines are excited about increasing flights to and from O’Hare — that’s a good thing,” McMurray said.
Bids are also due next month on more than 110 concession contracts with a combined, 148,000 square feet of commercial space with potential to expand, diversify and dramatically alter the mix of food and retail choices at O’Hare.
“It’s tremendous. One of the largest bundles of concession opportunities ever offered by a U.S. airport,” McMurray said.
Ald. Matt O’Shea (19th), Johnson’s handpicked chair of the City Council Aviation Committee, said oversight of the O’Hare modernization project will be a “baptism by fire. He’ll be drinking from a fire hose these first six months.
“We have to get shovels in the ground this summer. These concession contracts have to be figured out in the coming months,” O’Shea said. “All the while, establishing a strong relationship with the staff at Aviation and establishing a relationship with our airline carriers.”
O’Shea was Rhee’s No. 1 cheerleader in the City Council. He called her “one of the most respected leaders in the airline industry” nationwide, and said Johnson’s decision to let her go was a “terrible mistake” at a “crucial time.”
But after looking at McMurray’s extensive resume and talking to those who have worked with him, O’Shea said Johnson made a “great choice.”
“The thing I heard over and over was, ‘He’s a man of integrity,’ really sharp, hard worker, has the ability to bring people together. That’s exactly what we need now with all that we have going on at our two international airports,” O’Shea said.
A source who has spoken directly to McMurray said the new commissioner was approached repeatedly about becoming aviation chief, but was reluctant to accept Johnson’s offer.
The source said McMurray agreed to take the $291,696-a-year job only after United and American begged him to fill the giant void created by Rhee’s ouster.
“I never said, ‘No.’ We were having ongoing discussions. I’ll put it that way,” McMurray said.