Detroit Metro Airport North Terminal officially changes name after Warren Evans

After 14 years of receiving travelers, Detroit Metro Airport's North Terminal is getting a new name: the Warren Cleage Evans Terminal.

Named after Wayne County's current executive, the name change was voted on and approved in 2021. 

Typical an honor that might be bestowed upon a figure after death, Warren Evans will be in attendance Monday for the honoring ceremony. The signs entering the airport already read "Evans Terminal."

"This is truly an honor, and I would like to thank everyone who made this possible," Evans said. "I have dedicated my life to public service, and I have always believed that you don’t get into this line of work for the awards or recognition. 

"Public service is about serving the public. But I must say that it does feel good to know that others appreciate what I have been trying to do for all these years." 

Public service was at the core of an interview Evans gave earlier this year when he reflected on the legacy of DTW's other terminal honoree: Ed McNamara.

"Ed McNamara said many many years ago there are really only two kinds of people. Those who want to do something and those who want to be somebody. And it's always stuck in my mind that public service is about doing things for people," Evans said.

The name change was initiated after the Wayne County Airport Authority Board of Directors took a vote in June 2021. It's original name of North was picked to designate its location on the airport's campus in 2008 when it opened. 

It replaced the Smith and Berry Terminals. 

A ceremony marking the occasion is scheduled for 2 p.m. April 4.