The Daley administration is forging ahead with planning for a new western terminal at O'Hare Airport -- though it doesn't yet have the money to design or build it and is not sure exactly how it will be used.

City Hall has issued a "request for qualifications" that asks design firms to plan for a range of possibilities for the new terminal.

"This effort will likely be undertaken without a defined final use or tenant," the request says. "Therefore, the study should explore the impacts of a range of potential uses on the overall space requirements . . ."

These early stage designs will cost up to $10 million. That amount is part of a request the city plans to make to the Federal Aviation Administration for authority to spend $200 million in future passenger ticket tax revenue on the total design of Phase 2 of the O'Hare expansion.

"We're looking to define and refine the terminal area and also look at the different opportunities there," said Rosemarie Andolino, head of the O'Hare Modernization Program.

Andolino does not expect the airlines to support the $200 million request, but thinks the FAA will grant it anyway this fall.