Chicago - Meigs Field

[chop456]

Heavy equipment was brought in under cover of darkness last night and began tearing out the runway, digging giant X's into the tarmac.

As people around Chicago already know, our beloved, yet mentally handicapped Mayor Daley has had a stiffy for closing the airport for the last 10 years. He wants to turn the airport into a much needed lakefront park. And what better place for a much needed lakefront park than across the streeet from a giant lakefront park? Genius, indeed.

Anyway, with Pook possibly being in town last week, let the CART race rumors begin. ;)

[Napoleon]

Chop

Did Chicago get FAA clearance to close the airport?

[chop456]

Originally posted by Napoleon
Chop

Did Chicago get FAA clearance to close the airport?

I don't know. No one from the City's Department of Aviation will anwser phone calls, and there's been absolutely nothing on the news leading up to this. It was a real guerrilla move on the part of mayor squeaky.

There's still a line of planes parked between the terminal and the runway. Unless they clear them to take off from the taxiway, they'll have to leave on trailers. There's no way in hell they'll take off from the runway. It's trashed.

[Napoleon]

Originally posted by chop456
It was a real guerrilla move on the part of mayor squeaky.

I use to represent a midsize public airport that has regular commercial service. The FAA, in exchange for funds to improve the airport, took a mortgage on the airport that provided that $x a year was forgiven of the amount provided by the FAA for each year the airport was open. If the airport closed before that the remaining amount not forgiven would become due and the FAA could foreclose on the closed airport to recover the sum due. I assume there is a similar arrangement with Chicago. Being that there is a Republican administration that is running a budget in the red, and Chicago regularly votes Democratic, the FAA may not be be favorably inclined to forgive the amount due.

[chop456]

Originally posted by Napoleon
I use to represent a midsize public airport that has regular commercial service. The FAA, in exchange for funds to improve the airport, took a mortgage on the airport that provided that $x a year was forgiven of the amount provided by the FAA for each year the airport was open. If the airport closed before that the remaining amount not forgiven would become due and the FAA could foreclose on the closed airport to recover the sum due. I assume there is a similar arrangement with Chicago. Being that there is a Republican administration that is running a budget in the red, and Chicago regularly votes Democratic, the FAA may not be be favorably inclined to forgive the amount due.

It's nothing quite that elaborate, I'm afraid.

The equipment was escorted to the airport by City of Chicago police cars. Mayor pinhead gets awfully cranky when he doesn't get what he wants, and he was forced to cut a deal with the former republican governor keeping the airport open in exchange for the state's support for the (needless) expansion of O'Hare. United, anyone?

Gov. Ryan (crook) has been out of office for a month or so, and the new Dem. Governor (connected liar and hypocrite) is involved in some way, I'm sure. The deal was supposed to keep it open until 2006.

Anyone unfamiliar with Daley owes it to themselves to watch one of his press conferences. He's so woefully inept it's incredible. It's truly an embarassment to our 3rd largest city that they're represented by someone with the IQ of a wet mop.

If the closure results in a decent CART race in the city, they can plow Meigs into the lake for all I care. :D

[sundaydriver]

Saying Mayor Daley has the IQ of a wet mop is a compliment. ;)

He should have his own comedy show, everything this guy says is hilarious.

[SteveH]

taken from Crain's Chicago Business website www.chicagobusiness.com

Meigs Field closed, security cited

There will be no more takeoffs or landings at Meigs Field, as the city sneaked in concrete cutting equipment overnight and began demolishing the runway. A source told WBBM that "Meigs Field has been closed for good," and that homeland security concerns will be given as a reason.

Mayor Richard M. Daley is expected to make an announcement later today, but a spokeswoman from his office could not provide details. City Aviation Department spokeswoman Monique Bond also declined to comment.

A couple of huge Xs were carved out of the runway so no planes could take off or land— surprising since a number of planes are still parked at the airport.

Steve Whitney of Friends of Meigs is outraged that such an action would be taken without any announcement.

Chicago police have closed off access to the lakefront airport. Early this morning, there were reports of several caravans of heavy construction equipment going into Meigs Field, in some cases escorted by police.

Rachel Goldsteen, of the Friends of Meigs Field, was at the scene. She told WBBM that Chicago Police denied access to the road that leads to the airport.

WBBM reached officials at the Federal Aviation Administration and the city Department of Transportation who said they knew of no construction or demolition work scheduled for Meigs Field.

As of 1:30 a.m., several backhoes, large trucks carrying floodlights and generators and other equipment could be seen moving along the north-to-south runway of the small airport.

Many of the vehicles had yellow emergency lights flashing, and some of the heavier equipment appeared to be digging up the runway.

[mnkywrch]

Originally posted by SteveH
A couple of huge Xs were carved out of the runway so no planes could take off or land— surprising since a number of planes are still parked at the airport.

And, of course, I'm sure the city will pay to get those planes moved.

:shakehead

[mnkywrch]

What does it say for Homeland Security when the local police force can just march onto an airport and begin tearing it up?

[Gurneyflap]

Wait a minute. Since when does da mayor need approval from some lowly federal agency to do a little race track construction work in a city park? I say we get a map up here and start drawing. This can be better than an airport track. Right up CART's alley...a 1.1, maybe a 1.2 mile "road" course!72 mph lap times and room for 18,000 fans! Helluva place for a casino, too. I think there's one unused license out there someplace. No sense letting it go to some poor downtrodden downSTATE locale! Let's widen the access (or build a bridge) over to Soldier Field and the Field Museum and make a PROPER street course! Road America? Where's that!?

[JoeBob]

You know, to make the track a little longer, maybe they could put in a crossover tunnel. It'll be just like the amusement park go-karts... er... um... Suzuka.

[SteveH]

Let's hope the mayor of Cleveland doesn't follow Daley's actions.

[Sean O'Gorman]

Originally posted by SteveH
Let's hope the mayor of Cleveland doesn't follow Daley's actions.

I don't think we can afford to even rent bulldozers anymore. Maybe they can just dump whatever is left of the winter's supply of road salt in one big area and let it slowly erode at the surface.

[chop456]

http://abclocal.go.com/images/wls_033103_meigs5.jpg

http://abclocal.go.com/images/wls_033103_meigs6.jpg

Unbelievable. That pudgy, vacuous little twit makes me want to vomit.

On him.

[SteveH]

The mayor has said that the city will pay to haul the 16 planes parked at Meigs to Midway if the FAA does not allow them to use the taxiway for them to take off.

Anyone wanna bet what the FAA will do? Considering they weren't even in the loop until this morning, I can't imagine they are real happy with little Richie.