It's a big year for Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.

Although a cloud hangs over Hopkins in the form of the proposed merger of Continental and United airlines, the airport is holding a party next Monday, July 26, to celebrate both a four-year effort to spruce up its terminal and retail operations and its 85th birthday as the nation's first municipally owned airport.

When he arrived to be Cleveland's airports chief nearly four years ago, Ricky D. Smith pledged to make the city-owned airport more attractive to passengers and airlines. He began by reorganizing the flow of the airport's ground transportation, notably its parking lots and taxi service, then brought in BAA USA, a retailer specializing in airports, to transform Hopkins' retail operations.

BAA is using its Airmall concept at Hopkins, a marketing strategy the firm's British parent pioneered in Europe. The idea, reinforced with the slogan, Regular Mall Prices ? Guaranteed, brings local and national restaurateurs and merchants and lower prices to airport retailing.

By the end of this year, BAA will have redeveloped 76,000 square feet of retail space at the airport. Among the new retailers for travelers to sample are Hudson News and Hudson Booksellers, Quaker Steak & Lube and Great Lakes Brewing Co.

The city also has updated the concourses and restrooms.

Though passenger satisfaction hasn't been gauged formally, the strategy is succeeding financially. The average retail dollar spent per passenger has risen since Mr. Smith's arrival to $12 per passenger from $5.

Our goal is to get to $15 per passenger, he said.

Every dollar counts

The city gets a portion of that revenue and that share is important because of the complicated financial structure of airports. Every dollar the city nets from parking, food operations and other concessions makes Hopkins less costly to the airlines, which pay Hopkins landing fees. The lower the fees Hopkins needs to charge the airlines to maintain its operations, the more willing they are to keep or increase service at Hopkins, which some observers say is critical to the region's attractiveness to businesses.