Cost On Mayor's Plan More Than Doubles

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley's plan for revamping O'Hare International Airport will cost more than twice the amount promised by the man aviators love to hate -- and may prove to be altogether unworkable, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Daley, widely villanized for the midnight destruction of the runway at Meigs Field, originally proposed a $6.6 billion plan to add runways, terminals and other facilities at O'Hare. Now, the price tag for that plan is $14.8 billion, according to documents submitted by the Daley administration to the FAA.

And, say opponents, that ain't all.

"The city's $14.8 billion estimate doesn't include a western-access road or any of the other $3.9 billion in road and mass-transit projects near the airport that the city itself said are critical to the success of its modernization plan," said Joseph Del Balzo, a consultant hired by Bensenville and Elk Grove Village -- two Chicago suburbs that are leading opposition to the mayor's O'Hare expansion plan. Almost as an afterthought, he told the Tribune, "And I still believe the city's figures for the airfield expansion alone are on the low side."

City aviation officials insist that the heart of the proposal -- a $6.6 billion runway expansion/reconfiguration plan -- remains the same in 2001 dollars. But they now admit, to make that plan work, they'll have to build two new terminals and renovate one that already exists. Add to that the cost of repairs over 20 years, debt service, operating and maintenance expenses... the total bill comes up to more than $15 billion. Offset by $537 million in non-airline revenue, that brings the price tag to $14.8 billion.

Can it be done? Rosemarie Andolino, who heads up the O'Hare expansion project, says the costs are "reasonable" when put up against other major hub airport renovation projects.

But lawyer Joseph Karaganis, who represents the Suburban O'Hare Commission, says, "It's clear the Feds and the airlines cannot afford this plan. The dollar figures the city now acknowledges are what we thought they were going to be."

The FAA still has to conduct an environmental impact study on Daley's expansion plan. Federal officials say the plan will go nowhere until that's completed. Chicago Aviation Director Thomas Walker tells the Tribune he's confident in the plan because it's flexible. Stand by for change orders...

FMI: www.chicagoairports.com