Project Still On Hold As Opponents Fight Relocation

Showing its commitment to the expansion of O'Hare International Airport, the FAA plans to give Chicago $300 million -- the full amount requested by the city -- for the first phase in the planned $15 billion project. The announcement comes as the plan continues to be on hold, pending an inquiry requested by opponents to the measure.

The FAA's announcement to Congress Saturday was somewhat surprising, as US Department of Transportation Inspector General Kenneth Mead had previously called the $300 million "an unusually large request," according to the Associated Press.

However, the need for additional flight capacity at O'Hare -- as well as relieving congestion, and reducing delays that currently can stretch to nearly an hour on a good day -- justified the amount in the eyes of the federal agency.

The FAA also filed a petition in a Washington, D.C. federal appeals court Friday, asking the court to lift a 10-day-old order to halt construction on the expansion. The order was granted October 1 at the request of airport opponents, just hours after the FAA had given its approval to begin construction.

Opponents were unhappy with the FAA's plans to release the $300 million.

"This is an attempt to play a shell game with the law," said attorney Joe Karaganis, who represents the Chicago suburbs of Elk Grove Village and Bensenville, as well as the church that owns St. Johannes Cemetery in Elk Grove. Those entities were among the opponents who asked the US Court of Appeals to block the FAA's decision.

As was previously reported in Aero-News, the proposed expansion of O'Hare would force nearly 2,600 people and 200 businesses to relocate. The city would also need to move the cemetery.

Barring a Congressional hearing into the matter, the FAA would be allowed to release the after 30 days. The money is considered a linchpin in the combined efforts of the city of Chicago and the FAA to move the expansion project forward.

The FAA maintains any "delay in construction of even a short duration will cause profound harm to the project -- increasing its costs and postponing its benefits," according to statement in the Friday filing.

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.cityofchicago.org