New Chicago Area Airport Discussions Continuing
The South Suburban Airport (SSA) has been under consideration for decades and has been actively studied since the 1990s. Due to recent legislation directing the Illinois Department of Transportation to develop a prequalification process for vendors to participate in its planning, the vision for the airport has shifted to a dedicated all-cargo facility and no longer as a passenger transportation center. A recent study released by the Illinois Economic Policy Institute (ILEPI), a nonpartisan nonprofit research organization, found that during the multi-year construction period, 8,000 jobs would be created and stimulate regional economic activity by more than $1.3 billion.