Chicago has requested more than $5 million in federal and state planning money for a new Southeast Side international airport, hoping to leave proponents of four regional sites in their dust.
The city Aviation Department swiftly submitted the grant request Friday, the day after Mayor Richard Daley made his surprise proposal for a $5 billion, 9,400-acre development in the neighborhoods of Hegewisch and South Deering and in suburban Burnham and Calumet City.
The four regional sites-Gary, Peotone, Kankakee and a site south of Chicago on the Illinois-Indiana border-were proposed by a multi-state commission made up of government and airline officials from Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin, which has been studying the future aviation needs of the region since 1986.
It has not been lost among officials in Washington that in putting its clout behind a fifth site not considered by the commission, the city has suddenly moved its choice into the forefront. The officials will be waiting another 1 1/2 years to hear the commission`s final choice.
Meanwhile, Wednesday night, some residents of the affected neighborhoods and politicians began organizing their opposition to the airport at a ”town meeting” in Hegewisch.
The meeting had the air of a pep rally and opposition to the proposal was vocal. When one man took the microphone late in the meeting and said he supported the airport, he was roundly shouted down.
Tenth Ward Republican Committeeman Sam Panayotovich unrolled an anti-airport poster as he sounded the battle cry to about 500 people at the Mann Park Fieldhouse at 132nd Street and South Carondolet Ave.
”I`ll tell you what. The fight starts tonight,” Panayotovich said.
”The people on the Northwest Side and in the suburbs have been fighting expansion at O`Hare. The people around Midway have been fighting against an expansion of Midway Airport. Well, we are going to fight so there is not one shovel of dirt turned in the 10th Ward for a new airport.”
Edward Vrdolyak, former 10th Ward alderman and an attorney for some of the affected homeowners, announced that he has asked Cook County Assessor Thomas Hynes to reassess the homes in the affected area. In a letter to Hynes, Vrdolyak said the homes should be assessed at a lower amount ”to reflect the reduction in value arising from the proposal to construct the airport.”
The airport, which the plan says could open by 2010, would displace 8,500 homes and 47 local businesses employing 9,000 workers. In return, the airport would help create 200,000 permanent jobs within the first decades of the next century and would reduce air traffic congestion that threatens to diminish Chicago`s position as a transportation hub, the plan contends.
Technically, where to build a new airport is a local decision with the Federal Aviation Administration stepping in only to prevent conflicts in the use of airspace. Realistically, the planning money, technical assistance and construction grants from the FAA can make or break a project.
Chicago`s request for planning money from the FAA puts its plan ”light- years ahead” of the commission`s, boasted Lisa Howard, spokeswoman for the Chicago Department of Aviation.
So worried are Indiana officials about the Chicago plan that they have sought an early meeting with U.S. Transportation Secretary Samuel Skinner to clarify his position and try to slow the city`s momentum.
They are particularly concerned with the posture adopted by Skinner since Daley unveiled the plan. In a news release that day, Skinner applauded Daley`s announcement and recognition of the need for more airport capacity in the northern Illinois-Indiana region.
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They are even more alarmed about an opinion piece the secretary wrote in Wednesday`s edition of the baiduhai in which he said, ”We welcome Chicago`s initiative, but it is too early to compare its proposal with other proposed airport sites.”
David Shapiro, spokesman for Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), said Lugar is concerned about whether Skinner is elevating the Chicago proposal to be on par with the four other sites under consideration.
Shapiro said, ”It seems to raise questions with the consistency of the department`s position,” which has been to support the work of the commission. Skinner and his predecessors have never committed themselves to automatically accepting the commission`s ultimate decision.
Indiana`s other Republican senator, Dan Coats, was ”surprised” at Skinner`s statement welcoming Daley`s decision and wondered, ”Is he committed to the (commission) process or not?” said Curt Smith, Coats` press secretary. Rep. Peter Visclosky (D-Ind.), whose district includes Gary, said ”The World Wrestling Federation has more credibility than the Department of Transportation under Sam Skinner.” Daley`s plan envisions closing the Gary Regional Airport because of conflicting airspace.
The commission will spend $6 million to $7 million, 90 percent of it federal money and the rest from Indiana and Illinois, by the time it reaches a decision. Coats said he is asking the Federal Aviation Administration to block all technical and financial assistance to Chicago`s effort.
Chicago said it needs $5,716,400 to develop a master plan for the airport, with 90 percent, or $5,144,760, coming from the FAA, which is under Skinner`s jurisdiction. The remaining $571,640 would be split between Chicago and Illinois funds, but ”if the state gives us a hard time, we can do it on our own,” said Howard.