Detroit Metro Airport's North Terminal to be renamed after county exec Warren Evans

Detroit Metro Airport's North Terminal is slated to be renamed after Wayne County Executive Warren Evans, officials announced Wednesday.

The Wayne County Airport Authority Board of Directors unanimously voted for the change. A dedication ceremony is expected next spring.

“Wayne County Executive Warren C. Evans is known as a leader who gets results,” said Marvin Beatty, the board's chairman, in a statement. “Mr. Evans has devoted his entire adult life to public service, personally and professionally. Not to mention, he has always been an advocate for our airport system, which is an economic engine and a job creator in our region.”

Airport authority officials cited Evans, a former county sheriff who became the county executive in January 2015, eliminating the county’s multimillion-dollar deficit during his first term and helping Wayne produce budget surpluses.

His administration also has delivered more than $90 million in relief to those affected by the pandemic through efforts such as direct aid for service workers tenants, homeless veterans and small businesses, the authority said.

WCAA board vice chair Al Haidous, a county commissioner, said he proposed the renaming "because Mr. Evans has worked hard and transformed our county. He has led Wayne County, the state’s largest, through dual health and economic crises and even restored fiscal responsibility following the Great Recession.”

Evans called the honor humbling.

"Wayne County is an international gateway because of its airports, and we have worked hard to make them an integral part of the county’s resurgence," he said Wednesday. "Detroit Metro is a world-class airport, and together with Willow Run Airport our Aerotropolis is attracting investment from around the globe that is creating jobs for Wayne County residents.”

The airport authority said Evans’ wife, Renata, was also instrumental in helping DTW launch the Art in the Airport program in 2019.

“In recent years, we’ve worked hard to create a sense of place in our terminals, especially the North Terminal,” said WCAA chief executive officer Chad Newton. “When customers walk through our doors, we want them to know they’re in Detroit’s airport. Our concessions program includes some of the most popular locally- and Michigan-based restaurants and shops. In the North Terminal, we also have 24 framed reproductions of works from the Detroit Institute of Arts.

"It only makes sense to name our terminal after Wayne County Executive Warren C. Evans, a trailblazer and public servant. Mr. Evans has dedicated his career to making our county and our region a better place to live and work.”

Named after its location at the Romulus site, the North Terminal opened in 2008 and allowed for the retirement of the Smith and Berry terminals as passenger facilities, airport officials said.