Proposed Chicago south suburban airport
Encyclopedia
Proposed Chicago south suburban airport, Abraham Lincoln National Airport or Lincoln National Airport is a proposed airport in Peotone, Illinois
, a suburb of Chicago
. There is no official name and two separate plans exist, one known as the South Suburban Airport and another known as Abraham Lincoln National Airport. The FAA refers to the two proposals as South Suburban Airport. The airport would serve as an additional airport in the Chicago metropolitan area. Supporters of the airport think it will bring new jobs to the southern suburbs of Chicago, while relieving critical runway and terminal congestion at O'Hare International Airport
and Chicago Midway International Airport. A new airport would accommodate larger jet service that Midway International airport cannot offer.
Critics believe the airport would be a failure like MidAmerica St. Louis Airport
. Expanding O'Hare or other international airports in Milwaukee
and Rockford is thought to be a viable alternative as is Gary/Chicago International Airport
in Gary
, Indiana
.
The Peotone site was an alternative location to a proposed lake site announced during Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley
’s 1967 inaugural speech, just one of many projects proposed, including a Red Line Expansion
. The Chicago Public Works and Aviation Department worked cohesively with the Federal Aviation Administration during the Johnson and Nixon administrations from January 1967 to January 1970 to develop a litany of needed consultant reports beginning with an appraisal report, a summary of engineering reports, and graphic simulation studies for both a land and lake site. On January 27, 1970, Mayor Daley shelved plans for the airport, stating, “It was not necessary until year 2000.”
Following fifteen years of investment at O’Hare Airport and Midway Airport in the early 70’s, the north urban airport became a strain for the north central suburbs of the Cook County in the mid 80’s. State Legislators from north suburban Cook and DuPage counties applied political pressure to control expansion of O’Hare. House and Senate legislators tried three times to pass a Metropolitan Airport Authority bill from 1985 to 1987, in an effort to alleviate airspace noise and pollution from the urban airport. Legislators compromised on a resolution, which awarded $500,000 for a transportation study for the proposed 3rd Chicago airport.
In 1986, state legislation created the Illinois Airport System Plan Policy Commission (IASPPC). The commission had bi-partisan and tri-state support from Governors of Illinois, Indiana
and Wisconsin
. Commissioners chose consultant Peat Marwick to develop the aviation studies. The first capacity study concluded that neither O’Hare nor Midway could meet the expanding aviation market, and recommended a supplemental airport be built. South Cook Senator Angelo DeAngelis (R) of Olympia Fields advocated for the Peotone site. DeAngelies stated, “Economic considerations would override political ones in choosing a location."
Four months after the election of Mayor Richard M. Daley
in August 1989, the Lake Calumet
site was submitted by Daley as an alternative site to the IASPPC. By February 5, 1990, Mayor Daley released a feasibility study for the Lake Calumet Site which indicated that the $5 billion cost to construct the airport would be partially funded by a passenger facility charge which would generate $1.8 billion. Federal legislation sealed the passenger facility charges on August 2, 1990 in the 101st congress 2nd session through H.R. 5170.
Nearly 2 million people in 66 municipalities and villages live in south Cook and north central Cook, which would be directly impacted both positively and negatively by an urban airport. Land restrictions of an urban airport had taken its toll on some of the members of the North Central Council of Mayors; they began the first suburban Cook coalition. Along with the South Suburban Council of Mayors and the Southwest Council of Mayors, this group has produced consultant reports showing negative impacts.
However, it appears the passenger facility charges sealed its fate in the selection process. The City of Chicago also acquired three seats on the IASPPC, bringing the total to eleven. Political pressure by the City of Chicago ended in IASPPC members voting to eliminate all rural sites from final vote. The final vote selection was between Gary Airport and Lake Calumet. IASSPPC member, Senator DeAngelis gave an emotional speech “that attacked the process and political pressure placed on the committee.”
Following the selection of the Lake Calumet site, Mayor Daley attempted to put a legislative bill through during the end of the legislative session. The cost of the Lake Calumet site was $10.8 billion. Senate President Pate Phillips did not support the bill because it left the state of Illinois footing $2 billion of the cost. It took four tries in the House before reaching the Senate. By July 1992, Mayor Daley declared the airport issue “dead.”
Planning for the South Suburban Airport began in 1984 as a cooperative venture between the states of Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, the city of Chicago and the Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA). After many studies, the airport location alternatives were narrowed to five sites in 1990.
The state of Illinois submitted an Environmental Assessment to the FAA in March 1998 for approval of the development of an airport at a site in eastern Will County, Illinois
. Recently, the FAA prepared a Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for site approval and land acquisition. The FAA issued a Record of Decision (ROD) on the Tier 1 EIS in July 2002, which approved the Will County, Illinois site as a technically and environmentally feasible location for the development of a potential future air carrier airport in the south suburban area of the greater Chicago region.
The Illinois Department of Transportation
(IDOT) began purchasing land surrounding the Will County airport site in 2002 with funding of $75 million earmarked by the Illinois FIRST program. The state has purchased about half of the 4200 acre (6.56 sq mi; 17 km²) required for the plan. The current plan is in flux as the position of the runways are continuing to be debated. Eminent domain
cases are beginning to work their way through the courts. However, these cases are expected to be thrown out, as most local officials would rather see an existing airport utilized rather than buying land for an airport which may or may not be built.
In June 2008, Gary-Chicago International announced an agreement with 3 local railroads (Norfolk Southern, EJ&E and CSX) that will allow the airport to relocate railroad tracks and expand its runways. These longer runways will be able to accommodate jets of any size class. Combined with the planned terminal expansion, which will include a South Shore
and high-speed railroad station, the plans for Chicago's south suburban airport might be coming to an end.
In March 2011, Illinois Governor Quinn announced his intention to start construction “as fast as humanly possible”; however, the FAA had not finalized plans yet and the land acquisition was not yet completed. In June, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood noted that there has been little call in Washington for the Peotone airport compared to the support for the O'Hare expansion.
Peotone, Illinois
Peotone is a village in Will County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,385 at the 2000 census. The city is about south of Chicago...
, a suburb of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. There is no official name and two separate plans exist, one known as the South Suburban Airport and another known as Abraham Lincoln National Airport. The FAA refers to the two proposals as South Suburban Airport. The airport would serve as an additional airport in the Chicago metropolitan area. Supporters of the airport think it will bring new jobs to the southern suburbs of Chicago, while relieving critical runway and terminal congestion at O'Hare International Airport
O'Hare International Airport
Chicago O'Hare International Airport , also known as O'Hare Airport, O'Hare Field, Chicago Airport, Chicago International Airport, or simply O'Hare, is a major airport located in the northwestern-most corner of Chicago, Illinois, United States, northwest of the Chicago Loop...
and Chicago Midway International Airport. A new airport would accommodate larger jet service that Midway International airport cannot offer.
Critics believe the airport would be a failure like MidAmerica St. Louis Airport
MidAmerica St. Louis Airport
MidAmerica St. Louis Airport is an airport co-located on the grounds of Scott Air Force Base. MidAmerica has operated as a Joint Use Airport since beginning operations in November 1997 and has not been served by any commercial airlines since Allegiant Air pulled out of the airport on January 3,...
. Expanding O'Hare or other international airports in Milwaukee
General Mitchell International Airport
General Mitchell International Airport is a county-owned public airport located five miles south of the central business district of Milwaukee, a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States....
and Rockford is thought to be a viable alternative as is Gary/Chicago International Airport
Gary/Chicago International Airport
Gary/Chicago International Airport is a public airport located three miles northwest of the central business district of Gary, a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The airport, which serves the Chicago metropolitan area, is 25 miles southeast of the Chicago Loop...
in Gary
Gary, Indiana
Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city is in the southeastern portion of the Chicago metropolitan area and is 25 miles from downtown Chicago. The population is 80,294 at the 2010 census, making it the seventh-largest city in the state. It borders Lake Michigan and is known...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
.
History of the proposed airport
Professor Stanley Burge of Northwest University gave birth to the Peotone airport site during an economic summit on November 14, 1968. His main argument for the proposed land site was mobility and access to the airport. Professor Burge envisioned a high-speed train service to downtown Chicago.The Peotone site was an alternative location to a proposed lake site announced during Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley
Richard J. Daley
Richard Joseph Daley served for 21 years as the mayor and undisputed Democratic boss of Chicago and is considered by historians to be the "last of the big city bosses." He played a major role in the history of the Democratic Party, especially with his support of John F...
’s 1967 inaugural speech, just one of many projects proposed, including a Red Line Expansion
Red Line (Chicago Transit Authority)
The northern terminus of the Red Line is Howard Street in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago , on the City Limits farthest north. The Red Line extends southeasterly on an elevated embankment structure about a half-mile west of the lakefront to Touhy Avenue then turns south along Glenwood...
. The Chicago Public Works and Aviation Department worked cohesively with the Federal Aviation Administration during the Johnson and Nixon administrations from January 1967 to January 1970 to develop a litany of needed consultant reports beginning with an appraisal report, a summary of engineering reports, and graphic simulation studies for both a land and lake site. On January 27, 1970, Mayor Daley shelved plans for the airport, stating, “It was not necessary until year 2000.”
Following fifteen years of investment at O’Hare Airport and Midway Airport in the early 70’s, the north urban airport became a strain for the north central suburbs of the Cook County in the mid 80’s. State Legislators from north suburban Cook and DuPage counties applied political pressure to control expansion of O’Hare. House and Senate legislators tried three times to pass a Metropolitan Airport Authority bill from 1985 to 1987, in an effort to alleviate airspace noise and pollution from the urban airport. Legislators compromised on a resolution, which awarded $500,000 for a transportation study for the proposed 3rd Chicago airport.
In 1986, state legislation created the Illinois Airport System Plan Policy Commission (IASPPC). The commission had bi-partisan and tri-state support from Governors of Illinois, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
and Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
. Commissioners chose consultant Peat Marwick to develop the aviation studies. The first capacity study concluded that neither O’Hare nor Midway could meet the expanding aviation market, and recommended a supplemental airport be built. South Cook Senator Angelo DeAngelis (R) of Olympia Fields advocated for the Peotone site. DeAngelies stated, “Economic considerations would override political ones in choosing a location."
Four months after the election of Mayor Richard M. Daley
Richard M. Daley
Richard Michael Daley is a United States politician, member of the national and local Democratic Party, and former Mayor of Chicago, Illinois. He was elected mayor in 1989 and reelected in 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, and 2007. He was the longest serving Chicago mayor, surpassing the tenure of his...
in August 1989, the Lake Calumet
Lake Calumet
Lake Calumet is the largest body of water within the city of Chicago. Formerly a shallow, postglacial lake draining into Lake Michigan, it has been changed beyond recognition by industrial redevelopment and decay...
site was submitted by Daley as an alternative site to the IASPPC. By February 5, 1990, Mayor Daley released a feasibility study for the Lake Calumet Site which indicated that the $5 billion cost to construct the airport would be partially funded by a passenger facility charge which would generate $1.8 billion. Federal legislation sealed the passenger facility charges on August 2, 1990 in the 101st congress 2nd session through H.R. 5170.
Nearly 2 million people in 66 municipalities and villages live in south Cook and north central Cook, which would be directly impacted both positively and negatively by an urban airport. Land restrictions of an urban airport had taken its toll on some of the members of the North Central Council of Mayors; they began the first suburban Cook coalition. Along with the South Suburban Council of Mayors and the Southwest Council of Mayors, this group has produced consultant reports showing negative impacts.
However, it appears the passenger facility charges sealed its fate in the selection process. The City of Chicago also acquired three seats on the IASPPC, bringing the total to eleven. Political pressure by the City of Chicago ended in IASPPC members voting to eliminate all rural sites from final vote. The final vote selection was between Gary Airport and Lake Calumet. IASSPPC member, Senator DeAngelis gave an emotional speech “that attacked the process and political pressure placed on the committee.”
Following the selection of the Lake Calumet site, Mayor Daley attempted to put a legislative bill through during the end of the legislative session. The cost of the Lake Calumet site was $10.8 billion. Senate President Pate Phillips did not support the bill because it left the state of Illinois footing $2 billion of the cost. It took four tries in the House before reaching the Senate. By July 1992, Mayor Daley declared the airport issue “dead.”
Planning for the South Suburban Airport began in 1984 as a cooperative venture between the states of Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, the city of Chicago and the Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
(FAA). After many studies, the airport location alternatives were narrowed to five sites in 1990.
The state of Illinois submitted an Environmental Assessment to the FAA in March 1998 for approval of the development of an airport at a site in eastern Will County, Illinois
Will County, Illinois
As of the census of 2000, there were 502,266 people, 167,542 households, and 131,017 families residing in the county. The population density was 600 people per square mile . There were 175,524 housing units at an average density of 210 per square mile...
. Recently, the FAA prepared a Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for site approval and land acquisition. The FAA issued a Record of Decision (ROD) on the Tier 1 EIS in July 2002, which approved the Will County, Illinois site as a technically and environmentally feasible location for the development of a potential future air carrier airport in the south suburban area of the greater Chicago region.
The Illinois Department of Transportation
Illinois Department of Transportation
The Illinois Department of Transportation is a state agency in charge of state-maintained public roadways of the U.S. state of Illinois. In addition, IDOT provides funding for rail, public transit and airport projects and administers fuel tax and federal funding to local juridictions in the...
(IDOT) began purchasing land surrounding the Will County airport site in 2002 with funding of $75 million earmarked by the Illinois FIRST program. The state has purchased about half of the 4200 acre (6.56 sq mi; 17 km²) required for the plan. The current plan is in flux as the position of the runways are continuing to be debated. Eminent domain
Eminent domain
Eminent domain , compulsory purchase , resumption/compulsory acquisition , or expropriation is an action of the state to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or seize a citizen's rights in property with due monetary compensation, but without the owner's consent...
cases are beginning to work their way through the courts. However, these cases are expected to be thrown out, as most local officials would rather see an existing airport utilized rather than buying land for an airport which may or may not be built.
In June 2008, Gary-Chicago International announced an agreement with 3 local railroads (Norfolk Southern, EJ&E and CSX) that will allow the airport to relocate railroad tracks and expand its runways. These longer runways will be able to accommodate jets of any size class. Combined with the planned terminal expansion, which will include a South Shore
Chicago SouthShore and South Bend Railroad
The Chicago SouthShore and South Bend Railroad , known to many as the South Shore Line, is a Class III freight railroad operating between Chicago, Illinois, and South Bend, Indiana...
and high-speed railroad station, the plans for Chicago's south suburban airport might be coming to an end.
In March 2011, Illinois Governor Quinn announced his intention to start construction “as fast as humanly possible”; however, the FAA had not finalized plans yet and the land acquisition was not yet completed. In June, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood noted that there has been little call in Washington for the Peotone airport compared to the support for the O'Hare expansion.
See also
- MidAmerica St. Louis AirportMidAmerica St. Louis AirportMidAmerica St. Louis Airport is an airport co-located on the grounds of Scott Air Force Base. MidAmerica has operated as a Joint Use Airport since beginning operations in November 1997 and has not been served by any commercial airlines since Allegiant Air pulled out of the airport on January 3,...
- Civil portion of a dual use military facility (Scott Air Force BaseScott Air Force BaseScott Air Force Base is a base of the United States Air Force in St. Clair County, Illinois, near Belleville.-Overview:The base is named after Corporal Frank S. Scott, the first enlisted person to be killed in an aviation crash...
) near BellevilleBelleville, IllinoisBelleville is a city in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city has a population of 44,478. It is the eighth-most populated city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area and the most populated city south of Springfield in the state of Illinois. It is the county...
, IllinoisIllinoisIllinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
constructed to alleviate crowding of Lambert-St. Louis International AirportLambert-St. Louis International AirportLambert-St. Louis International Airport is a Class B international airport serving Greater St. Louis. It is located approximately northwest of downtown St. Louis in unincorporated St. Louis County between Berkeley and Bridgeton. It is the largest and busiest airport in the state with 250 daily...
, but has had little service from any airline.