CHICAGO: ORD & MDW discussion
 

Daley wins OK for O'Hare makeover

September 29, 2005

BY MARK J. KONKOL AND FRAN SPIELMAN Staff Reporters


Mayor Daley's plan for O'Hare Airport's grand expansion has been cleared for takeoff, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.

The Federal Aviation Administration is set to announce its final approval of the multimillion-dollar airfield makeover Friday, sources said.

In July, the FAA called Daley's plan -- which calls for reconfiguring the airfield to include six parallel runways -- the best plan to reduce delays with the least negative environmental effects even though it gobbles more land, homes, businesses and affects more minority residents than any other proposal.

Opponents plan court battle

Friday's announcement will likely be followed by formal groundbreaking, the rumble of bulldozers and speedy court challenge, not necessarily in that order.

O'Hare expansion director Rosemarie Andolino declined to comment Wednesday.

Expansion opponents said they expected the ruling and are readying an immediate court appearance to ask a judge to halt any construction.

"The whole process was tainted, and the FAA did not comply with required laws. We will do whatever it takes to get a chance to make those points . . . in front of an unbiased judge," said Wade Nelson, spokesman for Bensenville and Elk Grove Village.

City O'Hare land acquisition attorney Michael Snyderman has said suburban opponents have a difficult burden of proof to get a judge to delay construction.

Economics trumped politics

Before learning of the FAA's decision, Daley talked about the significance of the biggest public works project in Illinois history -- and how the economics of the project trumped politics.

"It started out as a political issue. Democrats who ran for governor and Republicans took a pledge: 'I will not expand O'Hare Field.' . . . Then, it became a business/economic issue. . . . If you can't expand O'Hare Field, how can you expand economic opportunities?' " Daley said.

"It broke down the Republican/Democrat, liberal/conservative, city vs. suburban area."

In 2001, Daley cut a deal with former Gov. George Ryan that broke the decadeslong stalemate over new runways at O'Hare, then developed an expansion plan more comprehensive than anyone in Chicago politics could have imagined.

After waiting years for FAA approval, Daley has promised to break ground on the project immediately.

FAA approval seen Friday for O'Hare expansion plan

By Jon Hilkevitch
Tribune transportation reporter
Published September 29, 2005

A decision will be issued Friday on Chicago's proposal to expand O'Hare International Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday.

Chicago officials had originally pressed for FAA approval by mid-2004 to allow construction on new runways to start. But the federal agency said the review process would take until this month.

The announcement has gone down to the wire, in part because approvals were still needed this week from the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency to relocate about 1,300 graves at the 156-year-old St. Johannes Cemetery, which borders O'Hare. The cemetery is in the path of one new runway.

FAA approval of O'Hare expansion is expected. But the FAA said it will continue working to complete a financial analysis to determine whether the economic benefits of the expansion exceed the costs, which total $14.7 billion for the airfield realignment, construction of new terminals and other capital improvements. A decision is expected by the end of the year, said FAA spokesman Tony Molinaro.

Positive benefits-to-costs results are required by law for the city to receive $300 million in federal funding for the first phase of the project--and a total of $2 billion in federal grants and passenger ticket taxes that the city is counting on to help pay for the entire project.

Besides the funding uncertainties, there are questions about whether the airport plan is safe and how many years of better performance the expanded airport will provide before serious flight delays return.

Airport opponents vow to seek a court injunction barring the city from condemning the cemetery and other properties on more than 400 acres in Bensenville and Elk Grove Village for the expansion. The expansion foes want a judge to prevent the city from bulldozing properties at least until a determination is made on the benefit-cost test.

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jhilkevitch@tribune.com

I think so - to it's fullest extent.

i think chicago's big enough that they need to create a second international airport. i don't want a heathrow syndrome.

Faster, please.

Double Post :dunce:

They want to build one way way out in south suburban Southern Will County in this town called Peotone which is like 45 miles south of the Loop.

Remember Heathrow only has 2 runways. London has 5 International Airports in all.

I remember hearing a few months ago that there was talk of building a major regional airport in northern Indiana. Is this still being looked at and what impact if any would it have on O'Hare?
Bob R.

Yes, it should have been done years ago. Fuck the worthless surrounding suburbs that wouldn't exist without O'Hare in the first place. O'Hare is a crucial part of the world's air travel infrastructure and its continued importance is important to Chicago's economy.

Shit, the bragging rights of having the world's largest airport alone are reason to tear down every last house in Elk Grove Village.

^ So true. They should even demolish a few extra houses just for some kicks ;)

I really don't think another airport should ever be considered until all expansion options of existing facilities are fully exhausted.

Peotone just seems too far away. O'Hare should be built out completely first, at least.

Fuck yeah. I bolded where you nailed it down. O'hare is so crucial for the North and West suburbs regional economies, not to mention national air travel. this should have been underway long ago if it werent for these NIMBYs.

Fire all citizens who work in the opposing townships and hand out a service charge to companies that operate in those opposing cities (like I get a couple dollars off for living in Chicago when I go to the muesuem). We really don't want the opposing towns and citizens to be hypocrits....so we can just terminate their affiliation with O'Hare.

LA's going through the same problems. Some say we should go for the regional approach. I agree with that except for the fact that regional approach requires that the core of the system (the Main airport) gets taken care of first.

i saw on a local political debate show that it's not as simple as it sounds. they cited a threshold level where connecting flights and international travel are much more convenient and economical all in one larger airport.

but gary seems to make the best sense to me since it already has the existing road and rail systems in place. here is a proposal i found for a gary-chicago transportation hub to merge air, bus, and rail all in one multi-level terminal and take the lead as the region's third airport. dunno if any progress has been made on it.

www.scb.com

http://63.240.68.115/FirmFiles/95/im...ary%2D51%2Ejpg

Yes, I think they should expand O'hare as much as possible. It would be a waste of money to build a new airport in Peotone.

When will the expansion be completed???

Re: Chicago O'Hare-Should It Be Expanded???
 

Damnit, don't you two stupid ingrate suburbs get it? YOU LOST. The fight is over, take your money and get the fuck out. Stop holding up the single most important ecconomic factor in our region of 9.5 million people. Especially Elk Grove Village, you would not exist without O'Hare. Your sprawlburb was created in 1955 by developer Centex Homes, which selected that site because of its proximity to the airport. Your town built up its ecconomy by siphoning wealth off of the airport, which you are now crippeling. Didn't this mayor's mother teach him the phrase "you shouldn't bite the hand that feeds you"?


After waiting years for FAA approval, Daley has promised to break ground on the project immediately.

Excellent, Daley needs to pull another raid after victory is declared and "X" out all of Bensinville and Elk Grove Village that lies in the way. Take out the village halls too while your at it. :)

Expand, expand, expand.:)