CHICAGO (WLS) — Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson was among those attending a groundbreaking Monday morning for a new concourse at O’Hare International Airport.

Mayor Johnson joined Chicago aviation officials, leaders from various airlines and the architects behind the plan to break ground.

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“Today, we begin building for the future of O’Hare, the world’s gateway to Chicago and our gateway to the world,” Johnson said.

Construction will soon be getting underway on “Concourse D.” It’s described as a $1.3 billion investment and the first satellite concourse to be built as part of O’Hare’s terminal expansion.

It’s the first major new concourse at O’Hare in more than 30 years.

Officials also shared new renderings of the work Monday, showing a 40-foot tall atrium with a circular skylight showering travelers in daylight.

Planned amenities include lounge and commercial space and a children’s play area.

The concourse adds 19 gates. And while it is a significant infrastructure upgrade, Johnson says the impact goes far beyond the physical structure.

“Every time we visit this airport and every time we invest in this airport, we invest in jobs. We invest in our neighborhoods. We invest in working families; we invest in the next generation of Chicagoans,” he said.

The mayor said Concourse D is generating more than 3,800 construction jobs. Once finished, Concourse D will be accessible to narrow and wide-body planes used for domestic and international travel, reinforcing Chicago as the economic epicenter of the Midwest.

“O’Hare is what keeps that engine running. This is the reason why we have businesspeople in and out every week filling our hotels. This is the reason our downtown restaurants get filled. Our massive festivals and conventions only work when O’Hare works,” 43rd Ward Ald. Timmy Knudsen said.

Executives from both of O’Hare’s hub carriers were also on-hand, as United and American airlines continue to compete for additional gates at O’Hare. Chicago’s Aviation Commissioner Michael McMurray would not say how the 19 new gates will be allocated.

“We have an idea, but we’re still working on that. And we’ll be releasing a little bit more information on that a little bit later this fall,” McMurray said.

Concourse D is scheduled to be completed sometime in 2028.

Eventually, Terminal 2 will be demolished for construction of the new Global Terminal.

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A satellite “Concourse E” will also be constructed down the road.