This is the moment of truth for opponents of growth at O’Hare International Airport.
The Suburban O’Hare Commission has opposed new runways at the big airport for two decades. Sen. Peter Fitzgerald (R-Ill.) also opposes expansion of O’Hare. They and others have the option of trying to thwart the historic deal reached Wednesday night by Illinois Gov. George Ryan and Chicago Mayor Richard Daley.
But one question must be asked of the opponents: What, exactly, do they support–other than the vague notion that an airport at Peotone will solve this region’s air capacity problems?
Ryan and Daley have made clear what they support: making sure Chicago and Illinois remain at the aviation crossroads of the nation in the 21st Century. The governor called the $6.6 billion airport deal he and the mayor reached Wednesday night the “World Series of all economic development projects.”
That is no overstatement.
Illinois and Chicago will reap economic rewards for decades because of this plan–directly from the construction, and indirectly because they are announcing their commitment to the nation and the world. That announcement won’t go unnoticed by businesses as the economy recovers and growth plans get dusted off.
O’Hare’s reconfigured layout will allow for six parallel runways, increasing capacity and safety, particularly in foul weather conditions. The long-sought western access to O’Hare finally will be built and the city will spend $450 million to soundproof more homes and schools around the airport. These tangible results are what Ryan and Daley support.
Des Plaines and Lisle are the first communities to have asked that question of O’Hare opponents, and answered it by dropping out of SOC.
Des Plaines Ald. Dick Sayad pointed out his community has sent $1 million to SOC over the last eight years. “What do we have to show for it?” he asked. When SOC wanted another $250,000 this summer to continue the fight, Des Plaines balked. “All they want to do is sue, sue, sue. There’s no end to it,” said Sayad. “There’s no more fight here,” he said, now looking at the opportunities the expansion plan presents for Des Plaines. That’s what he supports.
DuPage County has also withheld since summer its $250,000 contribution to SOC’s endless legal battles. Board Chairman Robert Schillerstrom wants the western access road, seeing in it billions of dollars in economic opportunities for the county. That’s what he supports.
But these benefits and opportunities don’t count for much to the remaining opponents. Bensenville Mayor John Geils filed the first lawsuit Thursday demanding details of the plan and an explanation of what led Ryan to break his campaign pledge and back O’Hare expansion.
Bensenville does pay a high cost for construction of the new southern runway; it will lose around 500 residences. That’s an unfortunate fact. But it won’t happen for a decade, the owners will be compensated and, quite frankly, the needs of the region demand this.
The question for O’Hare opponents remains: What do you support? Or put another way, are you simply going to obstruct? Fitzgerald insists he supports a third regional airport at Peotone, now more than ever. The mayor and the governor together will seek federal funds for that as part of this deal. The senator should join them.
