Meigs Field in Chicago closed

[nulian]

Well, like a thief in the night, our good friend Mayor Daley in Chicago has screwed Chicago aviation again.

Around midnight last night heavy equipment rolled into Meigs field and started tearing up the runway. No warning to anyone - there's not even a NOTAM for it. There are still aircraft sitting on the ramp.

No official word as to why this is happening, but the rumour network has it that the Mayor is expected to use 'credible terrorist threats' as an excuse.

For those who don't know - Mayor Daley has had it in for Meigs for some time now. He wants to turn it into a lakefront park, but has received opposition from the state government. Last news was a gentleman's agreement between himself and the former governor of Illinois - George Ryan - to keep Meigs open until at least 2006. Ryan was recently replaced as governor in the last election.

News can be found here. At the present time, there are large Xs gouged out of the runway.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-030331meigs,0,7637649.story?coll=chi%2Dnews%2Dhed

Cheers,
Peter

[MarkD]

hope no-one on Toronto City Council sees that...

[skidcanuck]

What a sad end to one of the great places to fly - coming across Lake Michigan, seeing the city come at you as you near the field - great view of a great city.

I suppose the new reality of terrorism paranoia is upon us, but a truck full of explosives could inflict as much damage downtown, but they haven't tore up Michigan Avenue.

It seems Daley is using this excuse to drive his own agenda.

I agree, lets hope Toronto and Cleveland politicians don't see this!

[nulian]

This is definitely Daley pushing his own agenda. Meigs poses no threat to the city in terms of terrorism.

It's interesting to note that the bill proposing the additional funds for the O'Hare expansion was declared dead in the water last month due to republican opposition. I suspect this is the Mayor being spiteful.

I'd hate to be the owner of one of the planes stranded on the field, although it looks like there's nothing too big to use the taxiway to get out.

Peter

[Tom the Tenor]

Politicians are such desperate failures all round aren't they - whether they be in Chicago, Cork, Canberra or Baghdad?

[Warped Factor]

From The Friends of Meigs Airport.....

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 31, 2003
Contact: Rachel Goodstein
(Cell) 773-383-4762
Phone: 773-248-4310

City Uses Storm-Troop Tactics to Close Meigs
Friends of Meigs to City:
For homeland security, closing Meigs is the riskiest thing possible.

Chicago, IL The City of Chicago today used surprise and shock tactics to start demolishing Meigs Field, the world-renowned airport serving downtown, ripping up runway without notice in the dark of night under police guard. "We are in shock," said Rachel Goodstein, president of the Friends of Meigs Field. "The City of Chicago had agreed to keep Meigs Field open until 2026," she said, citing a December 2001 agreement between Mayor Daley and Governor Ryan.

"This smacks of totalitarianism," said Goodstein. "It is nothing but an unmitigated land grab." The demolition came without warning, when dozens of heavy earth-movers descended on Meigs shortly after it closed at 10:00 P.M. Sunday night. The Friends of Meigs only received warning via news media inquiries. When Friends of Meigs representatives tried to visit the airport to talk to officials about the situation, they were turned away from the area by armed police.

"We understand that the City is trying to use 'homeland security' as an excuse to destroy Meigs without notice," said Goodstein. "Of all of the possible things they could do, that's the worst possible for public security. If there is a security issue at an airport, you work with the users to resolve it in the least disruptive manner, you don't destroy millions of dollars of taxpayer property.

The Friends of Meigs Field have repeatedly pointed out that not only does Meigs Field regularly handle medevac flights and air-sea rescue operations for the lakefront and downtown high rises, it also is the facility responsible for control of all air traffic over downtown Chicago. "Meigs Field is what protects us from what the Mayor fears," said Goodstein. Meigs Field's control tower controls all traffic within 4 miles of downtown Chicago. Also, since September 11, 2001, security has been tighter at Meigs than at any other small airport in the state.

The Friends of Meigs Field plan to hold a press conference later today to answer media inquiries about this situation:

What: Friends of Meigs Field Press Conference (tentative information, will depend on City of Chicago official announcement)

When: 11:30 AM or following the City Hall press conference

Where: Chicago City Hall, 121 N. LaSalle St.

[willbav8r]

Can somebody please explain to a simple chap such as myself how this could happen? Especially with midnight ops, leaving aircraft stranded.

Terrorism indeed......

[Airbubba]

Daley cites security in closing of Meigs
Pilots' group blasts overnight demolition of runway

March 31, 2003


[ORD] Tribune staff reports
Published March 31, 2003, 12:05 PM CST

Saying he was doing so out of concerns for public safety and his desire to spare citizens "months and maybe years" of contentious debate, Mayor Richard Daley today ordered Meigs Field closed and its runway torn up.

"We have done this to protect the millions of people who live, work and visit downtown Chicago in these uncertain times," Daley said at a City Hall news conference called after construction equipment early this morning destroyed Meigs' runway.

"The safety of the entire city has to take precedence over the wishes of a handful of private pilots and business people," the mayor said.

However, Daley and other city officials conceded they had received no specific threats about a possible terrorist attack involving a private aircraft.

Meigs, the city's lakefront airport, was closed early today after construction vehicles showed up overnight and began digging up the runway.

At dawn, the view from the top of the Adler Planetarium showed a series of large, X-shaped portions of concrete carved out of the runway's center. Large, illuminated "X" signs marked either end of the runway. Sixteen aircraft appeared stranded, parked along a taxiway and unable to take off.

Steve Whitney, former president of Friends of Meigs Field, vowed to be in court today to challenge the city's action. The organization has opposed Daley's plan to close the airport and turn it into a park.

"We are absolutely shocked and dismayed," said Phil Boyer, president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, another organization that has fought Meigs' closing. "Mayor Daley has no honor and his word has no value. The sneaky way he did this shows that he knows it was wrong."

However, Boyer conceded in a prepared statement that "federal and state airport laws may not have been broken by this action."

About 11 p.m. Sunday, several backhoes, large trucks carrying floodlights and generators, and other equipment escorted by Chicago police arrived at the airport and started working on the north-to-south runway.

A Chicago police squad car blocked the access road to Meigs Field. An officer said the airport and park nearby were closed, and no pedestrian or vehicle traffic was being allowed in. He would not comment on the activity.

A night operations supervisor at the Great Lakes Division of the Federal Aviation Administration said she was not notified of any airport closing.

Daley originally intended to close the airport in February 2002 and turn it into a park and nature preserve, but held off doing so to win then-Gov. George Ryan's support for federal legislation backing the $6.6 billion expansion of O'Hare International Airport.

Under terms of a deal reached with Ryan in December 2001, Daley agreed to keep the lakefront airport open until Jan. 1, 2026, though Meigs could be closed anytime after Jan. 1, 2006 by a vote of the General Assembly.

The deal was supposed to have been solidified in federal legislation endorsing the O'Hare expansion. But earlier this month, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, declared the federal bill dead because of the opposition of his Republican counterpart, U.S. Sen. Peter Fitzgerald.

Meigs' closing also follows the federal decision, at Daley's request, to impose a no-fly zone March 22 for the city. Private aircraft were barred from flying within 3,000 feet of the ground over downtown Chicago and much of the North Side. At the time, the mayor thanked federal authorities but repeated his criticism of small aircraft being allowed anywhere near the Loop.

Whitney said Meigs is an important facility, as it is used by medical and air-sea rescue aircraft and could be used by emergency aircraft in the event of a disaster in downtown Chicago. "It makes absolutely no sense from any standpoint, particularly for homeland security, to close Meigs Field," he said.

"Something is going on. It's outrageous to not let people know what is going on," said Maggie Gauatier, a member of Friends of Meigs Field.


http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-030331meigs,1,7703186.story?coll=chi%2Dnews%2Dhed

[nulian]

Homeland security. What a laugh. Problem is that the public will probably accept this explanation without question.

It's a damn shame. Meigs field was my first introduction to aviation through Flight Simulator, and has been a great resource through my time flying around Chicago.

It also served an important traffic control function for lakefront flights - which can get quite thick in the Summer months.

I hope that this can be reversed, but I fear that our efforts may be futile.

Peter

[Flying Lawyer]

Before
http://friendsofmeigs.org/html/history/images/Meigs_NW_View.jpg
Mayor Daley has been trying to close the arfield for a long time. He failed by conventional democratic means, and has resorted to bully-boy brute force.
Terrorism and security? What a load of BS!

Approaching Meigs over the lake from Michigan is (was?) breathtaking, watching Chicago gradually emerge in the distance until the stunning skyline appears in all its glory. This pic gives an idea, but doesn't do justice to the view. Coming in the opposite way to land Rwy 18, the view from base leg was (as Americans say) awesome.

Chicago Tribune poll results to date:

Was closing Meigs Field a good idea?
Yes: 28.4% (275 responses)
No: 71.6% (695 responses)

Afterhttp://a1022.g.akamai.net/f/1022/8153/5m/images.chicagotribune.com/media/photo/2003-03/7216694.jpg

[Unwell_Raptor]

I seem to recall that Mayor Daley's father was known for his - shall we say - robust approach to those who opposed him.

Many of his opponents finished up singing Soprano.

[In trim]

Don't take this the wrong way, but......Hilarious!!

How the hell, in a modern and 'democratic' (small d) society can anyone get away with this. If this was a Communist country I would understand it (par for the course, no reason needed), but for an elected individual?!?

I know nothing about the American electoral system, but when is this guy up for re-election, and how big an issue will these 'bully-boy' tactics be?

[nulian]

Chicago politics is more of a monarchy than a democracy. I wouldn't be surprised if Daley was in office until he croaks.

[Rattus]

It has been proven twice in the last couple of years (Italy and Florida) that a light aeroplane can be flown into a high rise building without doing any serious damage.

If I were a terrorist, I would be thrilled to bits: "We used aeroplanes last time - been there done that - so while they're obsessed with destroying the GA industry, we can crack on undetected and unhindered with our next generation delivery system."

Rattus

[Robert Vesco]

I wonder how long it will take Microsoft to come up with a patch for FS2002....

[OldAg84]

Unbelievable!!!!!

I can see no possible benefit to homeland security except that Osama may fall down laughing and hit his head on a rock.

Really...looks like anybody wanting to do harm would have to fly all the way from Gary, Indiana or any other of a 1,000 GA airports instead....

[pigboat]

Sad day for Meigs, kinda liked that airport. Wonder what the feds are gonna say about it. Wasn't Chicago supposed to have kept it open under some kind of Federal funding scheme? Wonder how long Toronto Island and Burke Lakefront are gonna last.:sad:

[Anti-ice]

Only in America.;)

Jeez , what next guys ? Craters dug at JFK & La Guardia so to stop'a potential threat?

There must be more to this than meets than the eye:hmm:

[Freeway]

April Fool perhaps?!!:}

[Cpt. Underpants]

Sadly, no joke.

Go here (http://friendsofmeigs.org/) for the Friends Of Meigs website. There is a live web cam there too.

[jet_noseover]

Pigboat

Expect fierce fight. Chicago area pilots associations already contacted faa. Under their rulings the city is supposed to issue 60 to 90 day notifications of ANY airport/runways closures. Be sure the matter will be investigated and possible fines imposed on the city. The airport was not only used for G/A but had a lot of corporate flyers as well.
The mayor (read: moron) himself used the convenience and proximity of Meigs Field to Downtown when trying to lure Boeing exec’s into making the decision to move the hdqr’s to Chicago from Seattle. The dude had a park in mind in this area all along and it became a political issue. In 2001 he said this airport would stay open till at least 2006 and possibly till 2026.
Bet you it has a lot to do with ORD expansion/pulling teeth and Palwaukee as a possibility for another Chicago area main airport. For now the taxpayers will eat the cost of moving stranded crafts and the g/a folks along with corporate flyers will have to do with DuPage and drive 35 miles to the city.

Typical “Windy City” politics at its best where using security reasons is to accomplish one's own agenda.

BTW, Daley explained in the news conference that his “night time operation” was to make sure no one had the time to file a lawsuit to stop his plan. How sneaky was that? Absolutely outrageous!

[nulian]

This is no april fool's joke. My post was in the morning CDT on the 31st. There is a live webcam at the adler planetarium that will show the damage.

[jet_noseover]

nulian

You and I know, it’s no joke. For sure a sad day. Keep in mind there always will be some, trying to “lighten” you up. No need to explain your posts. I share your outrage.

take a look:

"Meigs now a no-fly zone
March 31, 2003

BY By Robert C. Herguth, David McKinney and Maureen O’Donnell Staff Reporters



Mayor Daley unfurled his own version of “shock and awe” overnight: Without notice, he sent heavy equipment into Meigs Field under police guard to begin demolishing the lakefront airport.

Although increasing security was the stated goal, Daley long has wanted the airfield converted into a park, in line with Daniel Burnham’s long-ago vision.

The mayor said a handshake deal he made with former Gov. George Ryan to keep the airport open for 25 years was dependent on action in Congress to secure O’Hare Airport expansion. Because that failed, the deal was off, the mayor said.

The move stunned Meigs backers, who believed the Ryan-Daley agreement was still in effect.

“There’s no logic,” said Steve Whitney of Friends of Meigs Field. “They dug Xs into the runway all the way down.”

What’s more, a number of small planes remained parked at the airfield, with no runway now to leave, he said, adding a taxiway might have to be used. “From our perspective, this is a pure and simple land grab,’’ he said.

Friends president Rachel Goodstein called Daley’s methods “creepy,’’ and officials said their group is considering a lawsuit at the state and federal level.

The mayor acknowledged there were no specific security threats to Meigs, but insisted that closing the airport could someday help prevent a tragedy in which a terrorist aboard a small plane might slam into a high rise or big crowd downtown.

He sidestepped questions about whether the timing was intended to avoid someone going to court to keep Meigs open.

He said the final straw came when he heard about no-fly zones over Disneyland and Disney World, and that it took months for the City of Chicago to get the federal government to re-establish temporary flight restrictions over part of downtown earlier this month.

The Park District owns the land, and city officials said they had the legal authority to shut down Meigs.

But proponents of keeping Meigs open called Daley’s action an “abuse of power’’ and said it’s clear he’s using the anxious atmosphere of today to shut down Meigs and create a park there.

Gov. Blagojevich's administration signaled its support for Daley's move on Meigs despite not being informed of the mayor's plans before backhoes moved in. “While we didn't know about this in advance, we do support closing Meigs Field for public safety and security concerns,” said Blagojevich spokeswoman Cheryle Jackson.

“I can't make any sense of this,” said Patty Schuh, spokeswoman for Senate Minority Leader Frank Watson (R-Greenville). “This is just bizarre. They're doing it at 11 o’clock at night and stranding vehicles there. Is this revenge? I don't know what it is.”"

Chicago Sun.

Read this one:

March 31, 2003
Daley defends closing of Meigs Field
By Greg Hinz and Kelly Quigley

As critics accused him of employing “storm-troop tactics,” Mayor Richard M. Daley Monday strongly defended his decision to demolish Meigs Field’s only runway in the middle of the night, saying the lakefront facility posed a severe threat to the city’s security.
“We have done this to protect the millions of people who live, work and visit in downtown Chicago in these very uncertain times,” Mr. Daley declared to a room packed with reporters at City Hall.


“We have no control over airplanes in the air,” he added. “But we can control whether we have a city airport a few seconds away from one of the heaviest concentrations of people and buildings in North America.”

Mr. Daley has sought for years to shut the airport and replace it with a city park, and acknowledged that many persons will question the city’s motives.

“Yes, I do want a park,” he said. But the mayor insisted the city could not afford the “prolonged anxiety” that might have occurred had officials given public notice of the Meigs closure, allowing the demolition to be challenged in court.

“I am not willing to wait for a tragedy to happen here before making the tough decisions," Mr. Daley said.

A 'land grab'

The mayor’s critics were equally vehement, matching him rhetorical bullet for bullet.

“This smacks of totalitarianism,” said Rachel Goodstein, president of Friends of Meigs, a non-profit group that represents general-aviation pilots. “It is nothing but an unmitigated land grab.”

Steve Whitney, the group’s founder and long-time leader, ridiculed the mayor’s suggestion that someone could slip into Meigs, fill a plane with explosives and then crash it into the Loop.

Only authorized personnel are allowed at Meigs, said Mr. Whitney, standing before a large American flag, and the airport “is only marginally closer to downtown than 25 or 30 other airports from which someone could take off and do similar damage.

“One SUV (packed with explosives) could do far greater damage,” Mr. Whitney asserted. “But we’re not talking about closing city streets.”

The O'Hare issue

Potentially the biggest casualty of Mr. Daley’s decision to send in bulldozers shortly before midnight last night is a new harmony between City Hall and much of the local business establishment over whether and how to expand O’Hare International Airport.

Under terms of a handshake deal last year between Mr. Daley and former GOP Gov. George Ryan, the state dropped its long-term objections to expanding O’Hare, and Mr. Daley agreed to keep Meigs open until 2006. The deal failed to pass Congress after U.S. Sen. Peter Fitzgerald, R-Ill., almost single-handedly blocked ratification in Congress. Democrats since have taken control of the Illinois legislature and governor’s mansion, and may be able to do whatever they want at O'Hare without help from Republicans.

In his remarks Monday, Mr. Daley said there now is “no agreement,” and denied that he broke a deal.

The mayor also said his credibility is not at risk.

“It was supposed to pass in Washington D.C. It didn’t pass,” he said.

But R. Eden Martin, president of the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club, suggested that the mayor’s action is out of line.

“We’re surprised and disappointed,” said Mr. Martin, whose group represents the city’s largest corporations.

“There was an agreement” to keep Meigs open, that now has been put aside in the name of security, Mr. Martin said. Temporary closure may have been in order, he added, but “tearing it up would seem to be something else.”

Mr. Daley also was distinctly cool about the proposed airport in south suburban Peotone, which he had promised former Gov. Ryan he would support. “They can build it” if they want, he said, but success will rely on the efforts of those backing the plan.

In the still of the night

Early this morning, there were reports of several caravans of heavy construction equipment going into Meigs Field, in some cases escorted by police. As of 1:30 a.m., several backhoes, large trucks carrying floodlights and generators and other equipment could be seen moving along the north-to-south runway of the small airport.

Several huge Xs were carved out of the runway so no planes could take off or land — surprising since a number of planes are still parked at the airport. The mayor said those planes might be able to use an adjacent "runway" to fly out of Meigs. That option has to be cleared with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

City Aviation Commissioner Thomas Walker said the city is spending about $125,000 to tear up key sections of the Meigs runway — enough to shut the lakefront airport down indefinitely. The city will pay if need be to move about 15 private aircraft stranded at Meigs in the midnight demolition raid.

If those planes are unable to take off from Meigs Field's using the adjacent taxiway — which some aviation sources say would be hazardous — the planes will be hauled away by truck, Mr. Walker said.

Asked why the city didn’t merely install heavy concrete barriers, Mr. Daley said, "We took the action we felt was appropriate.”

The mayor repeatedly hinted that he is still steaming over the refusal of federal officials until last week to implement a no-fly zone rule downtown. Mr. Daley has argued it was irresponsible to ban flights over Disney World in Florida, but not a downtown area that houses three of the five tallest buildings on the continent.

At least one group, the Washington, D.C.-based Aircraft Owners & Pilots Assn., said it will explore the legality of the city’s action, but conceded that past research on similar matters is not promising.

Phil Boyer, president of the group, said the city was "sneaky" for closing Meigs Field without any advance warning — even to the FAA.

"While the federal and state airport laws may not have been broken by this action, last year (Mayor Daley) pledged to keep the airport open," he said. "The mayor has broken his promise not only to the citizens of his own city, but to the pilots of America."

Meigs opened in 1948. It once had regularly scheduled passenger service, but now serves strictly as a general-aviation facility.

A spokesman for Mr. Fitzgerald's office said Monday the senator would not comment on the Meigs closure. A spokeswoman for Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., said Mr. Durbin is following the news but has yet to discuss the issue with Mr. Daley.


http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=8384

[Ozgrade3]

Does anyone have an email addres for the city council, Mayor Daley and anyone else. We should bombard them with emails of outrage.

I was planning a trip to Chicago, Meigs field was to be the highlight. I may totally bypass the windy city now and spend my money elsewhere.

Lets kick some butt.

[Belgian Chap]

I'm not really into american politics/policies, but this looks like one of them pre-emptive strikes to protect the people of Chicago against an un-proven/un-documented threat.
Long live freedom and democracy, hip hip hurrah!

[Soku]

I dont usually pipe up here (Great info just from reading), but this time i must say after this the mayor of Cleveland will have some great backing to close BKL. I would hate to see that happen as it is a great downtown airport. Terrorism ya right. Hey Daley go screw yourself.

[ausdoc]

It looks more like an elected official, with little regard for anyone's opinion but his own, using security as a convenient excuse to achieve something that he has been trying to do for years.

Unbeleievable!!!

[pigboat]

Thanks jet_noseover. Whereinell they gonna move Meigs traffic to? ORD ain't too GA friendly, nor is Midway. Palwaukee and Gary are kinda far away.Torch Lewis is gonna blow a gasket.

[ELAC]

>>>“I am not willing to wait for a tragedy to happen here before making the tough decisions," Mr. Daley said. <<<


Sounds mighty familiar doesn't it?

When they write the epitaph for our generation it will read: Democracy and the American Ideal died by its own hand. The weapon was placed there by those too ignorant of the true nature of responsibility to understand it and too certain of themselves to forsee the price of their ignorance.

[Heliport]

Chicago Tribune Poll update

Was closing Meigs Field a good idea?

Yesterday:
Yes: 28.4% (275 responses)
No: 71.6% (695 responses)

Today (so far)
Yes: 29.9% (4,288 responses)
No: 70.1% (10,066 responses)


Chicago Tribune website (http://www.chicagotribune.com)

Click http://egov.cityofchicago.org/webportal/images/mayor_Daley.jpg (http://www.ci.chi.il.us/Mayor/mayorfeedback.html) to email Daley.

[skidcanuck]

Again, please, Toronto and Cleveland, don't let another moronic asswipe like Daley wreak this nonsense on your cities. At least London had the sense to keep London City viable - Daley's a democrat, isn't he?

A explosives filled truck at a remote country railroad crossing will do more damage than a Cessna 182 out of Meigs.

Daley, you are a total jackass!!!!!!

[Ignition Override]

Brilliant logic: this mayor is just as much a thug as his father was.
Nobody can takeoff from any other airport and fly VFR near the lakeshore, or fly across Lake Michigan if they want to (don't do it in winter in a single or light twin-the water will freeze you if you go down)? He addresses his electorate as if they were little kids, or chimpanzees. F*** you, Mayor Daley. Where is the icon for the middle finger? Did this guy allegedly accept any money from the Cosa Nostra (Mafia) in order to finance his electoral campaign?

Using such a thug's rationalization, our govt shut close down Wash National Airport (DCA). I just flew into this crappy little excuse for a jet airport. We had to burn off 800 lbs of expensive fuel because we were over the max landing wt for runway 19.

[Arrow_206]

I cannot believe the wishes of a community can be buldozed like this in a democratic society. I wish AOPA and Friends Of Meigs goodluck with Daley.
I also find it humorous that an airport that serves nothing larger than a learjet can be considered a terrorism threat, while 747's fly over the city to and from O'Hare every day. Perhaps we should close O'hare? It might make a nice park.
Which brings me to my next point. Arn't you glad that the airport's gone? Now we'll be free to enjoy that park space, we can go for a stroll on a nice frigid winter day anytime we want. Does Daley not see that for 8 months out of the year it will be vacant???
Sad day for aviation and the democratic process. I guess flight sim and pictures will have to suffice.
Rob Moss
[email protected]

[jet_noseover]

Come down Ignition Override

The dude is going to pay for this one.

What gets me, is this "sneak night attack". Since I do not wish to be banned I will not use the words...


You fill the blanks.

[tom775257]

Has the contractor who is going to build the park been announced yet?? That should form the basis of an interesting game of 'spot the cronyism’.

[dwnunderblunderer]

Well freinds I know what it feels like to have someone in control who has it in for your feild. I come from a small town in NewZealand where we have almost exactly the same situation. The owner of our feild (a big business corporate scum bag)brought the field form the government for a song and wants it all turned into housing developments. He has'nt yet started to rip up the runway however. Your situation is appaling and I really feel for you. I hope this bastard ends up the way most gangsters do....face down in a muddy paddock miles from anywhere with an extra hole in his head.

[Lowtimer]

Sadly, the link that Heliport posted is simply to a picture of the Great Man and doesn't allow you to send an email. I can't find an email address on the site, which is at:

http://egov.cityofchicago.org/city/webportal/home.do

All that seems to be listed is:

Address: Office of the Mayor
121 N. LaSalle, Room 507
Chicago, IL 60602

Facsimile: 312-744-8045

Can it be that they've had a lot of protests already and are trying to make it harder for people to get through?

[MarkD]

lowtimer

the link sends you to a feedback form

this is what I posted:

Well done Mayor

you go in in the dead of night and prevent due process in ripping up the field. I hope the Courts make you repair the vandalism out of your own pocket.

By citing terrorism, all you do is give comfort to the enemies of freedom.

[trolleydollylover]

I find it totally amazing that the land of democracy and freedom you have things going on. Why dont you exercise your right under your constitution to bear arms?
I feel very sorry for the users of the field however I guess that somebody has a friend that owns a residential development company!

Come to Liverpool we have a riverside airfield. Much of it is now closed aswell!

Hope the field survives for aviation use. Eventually.



Justin

[angels]

I share trolleydollylover's amzement and bewilderment that this sort of thing can go on in America.

Good luck to all in your campaign.

Question. Is it worth looking in to the fact that the owners of the planes still on the field will have been caused considerable inconvenience and expense by this act of vandalism?

The lawyers will surely get involved at some stage, so strike the first blow!

[terryJones]

America being America, sue the company because 'my toast burnt me' I would suggest that the legal eagles were involved asap, so that the dipstick mare, sorry, mayor, and the local tax payers will be aware of the possible expense involved if the aircraft are grounded at Meigs .
From the picture he looks like the sort of person you would trust about as far as you could p!$$ on. Glad I don't live in the 'land of the free'
As Trolley... said, I wonder who gets the contract for the new park? No-one in his/her right mind could possibly see the field as a threat to anything, (except a park) and there are enough larger airfields around that could be used as a potential take off point for an attack.
Lets dig big 'X's into the runways at Fairford, that's a danger to the people of Gloucestershire.....

[MaxAOB]

Takes a lot to get me this hacked off! Have emailed the scumbag mayor and sent other messages to the governor and friends of meigs campaign. Democracy - huh!! Have flown into Meigs several times over the years it was excellent. The middle of the night!! Scumbag. He even looks a shifty scumbag type - as has alredayt been mentioned i would be amazed if he isn't linked in some "invisible" way to the developers!

Daley you are a scumbag!

[woodey]

Friends of Meig's field give this email: [email protected]

(haven't used it yet but am about to)

Cheers,
Woodey

[ratsarrse]

What needs to happen is that someone arranges for bulldozers to move in at midnight at the following address:

Office of the Mayor
121 N. LaSalle, Room 507
Chicago, IL 60602
:mad: :mad: :mad:

[nulian]

Haven't looked at the news yet today, so don't know if there are any more developments. Locally in Chicago, there is fairly good coverage of this, and for the most part the news channels appear to be giving everyone a fair shake of the stick. It's not all toeing the Mayor's line.

I'm going to overfly Meigs this afternoon and hopefully get some pictures, which I'll post tomorrow.

Cheers,
Peter

[greatorex]

Something tells me that someone is going to get very, very rich as a result of this. . . . . . . . . . :* :mad: :* :mad:

[lizard drinking]

So let's see, an elected official, under the cover of a terror threat that has not been proved to be credilble has illegally sent the troops into territory he does not own, and without community support, in order to create mayhem and take over that territory, thereby "saving" it for the locals. Locals who do not want this "help" since it will cause them harm. Does that remind you of anything?

[skidcanuck]

Let's not let this continue, pilots! If you own a plane, make a trip to Toronto City Centre soon, buy some fuel, have lunch downtown Toronto, see a Blue Jays game (all walking distance from CYTZ) and support this airport. Same for Cleveland.

If you are corporate in a turboprop, try CYTZ instead of CYYZ.

[jet_breeze]

What did the FAA say about this ? Hopefully the aircraft owners will take legal action against them as they should/will have the right to. Also wonder how Mayor Daley would feel if we tore up a hole in the ground around his car..... hehe ;) .

[Heliport]

LowTimer
If you click on the pic, you'll be transferred to an email form.
Select 'Other' from the dropdown menu and post your message direct to the Mayor's office.


Heliport

[Shamrock107]

Now that Meigs is all dug to sh*ite, what happens the planes ? How do you get them out of there?

[Lon More]

My one and only visit to Chicago was with a friend in his Cherokee, VFR to Meig's- what a way to arrive.
Osama bin Daley is a bigger threat to any Arab

Off thread on this, but the thought just occured to me; what would happen if a large number of people "dropped a dime" to the Internal Revevue annonymously denouncing (sp?) someone for tax evasion? Would they investigate?

[jet_noseover]

The future of 16 stranded aircraft remained in question Tuesday, while pilots, businesses and hospitals looked for aviation alternatives following an abrupt decision by Mayor Richard Daley to close Meigs Field so it eventually can be converted to a park.

Pilots of the stranded planes said they had been told a decision won't be made until at least midday Wednesday on whether a not-yet-bulldozed taxiway can be used to fly the planes out of downtown.


Daley, who had the Meigs runway destroyed in the dark of the night late Sunday and early Monday, has pledged the city will pay for trucking the planes elsewhere if they can't be flown out.


City survey crews Tuesday examined the taxiway to determine whether it's large enough for the stranded aircraft to use as an emergency runway, as well as whether the surface is flat enough and undamaged from the runway destruction.

(from yahoo)

[My names Turkish]

I hope not to evoke the wrath of the moderators but may I suggest a deluge of e-mails to the mayors office from ppruners'? Just click on the picture of him on the previous page.

[jet_noseover]

As of 1700 local time all but 2 crafts have left Meigs using untouched taxiway. The 2, one to CA and the other to MO be gone by tomorrow.
The icon of 55 years is gone to make a room for the weeds.

If there is any comfort to the stranded craft owners, the city will reimburse them for the charges.. How nice.

[skidcanuck]

People of Chicago - get rid of this idiot Daley ASAP!!!

[skidcanuck]

FAA relents, first planes leave Meigs

Meigs Field feud (Chicago Tribune)
April 1, 2003


By John McCormick
Tribune staff reporter
Published April 2, 2003, 3:45 PM CST

The stranded aircraft at Meigs Field finally took flight this afternoon after federal aviation officials changed their minds and agreed to let planes depart to the north.

City officials earlier scrubbed plans to let aircraft use a taxiway to take off from Meigs Field after a wind shift prevented take-offs to the south, as called for under a plan approved this morning by the Federal Aviation Administration.










But shortly before 2 p.m., the FAA decided aircraft could depart to the north at their pilots' discretion, according to Elizabeth Isham Cory, spokeswoman for the federal agency.

The first planes did so at about 2:15 p.m., using roughly half the length of the taxiway to get off the ground before making a gentle bank to the east over Lake Michigan as they cleared the airport.

Sixteen aircraft had been grounded at Meigs since early Monday, when the city without warning sent in heavy construction equipment to tear up the lakefront airport's runway. More than half had departed by 3:45 p.m.

Fourteen pilots came to Meigs this morning after receiving word from the city they finally could leave. But they were then delayed by the weather -- first, by strong crosswinds out of the west, and then, by a late-morning fog that suddenly enshrouded the lakefront. By the time the fog lifted, winds had swung around to the north.

An airplane can take off only into the wind. And an agreement reached earlier today between city officials and the FAA allowed departures only over open water to the south, a safety precaution in the event a plane lost power on take-off.

The FAA also decreed pilots could carry no passengers and only enough fuel to reach the nearest airport, Cory said. Additionally, the city made pilots sign waivers saying they accepted the risk of taking off from a taxiway, she said.

A spokesman for Mayor Richard Daley's office said the pilots were given three choices: To fly their own planes out, to have the city hire a professional pilot to do so, or to have their planes disassembled and trucked away at the city's expense. All of the pilots opted to fly out themselves.

Dr. Stan Crie and his wife, Canden, said city officials notified them this morning they could leave, but they'd have only a short time to do so. Last Friday, the couple flew their plane from their home in St. Joseph, Mo., to Chicago for a medical convention. They had intended to spend a few more days in town sightseeing but had to cut short their visit.

"We just had to cancel everything. Otherwise, we couldn't leave," Canden Crie said.

Both continued to express frustration with the city for having shut down Meigs and torn up the runway without warning Monday.

"It's like visiting a war zone," Stan Crie said.

The city has told pilots it will provide shuttles to the Gary airport for their spouses.

In a move that caught everyone by surprise, Daley ordered heavy construction equipment onto the airfield in Monday's predawn hours to carve giant Xs into Meigs' sole runway, rendering it unusable.

Daley, who has long wanted the airport converted into parkland, said later he no longer felt bound by an agreement with former Gov. George Ryan to keep Meigs open in exchange for the governor's support for federal legislation authorizing the expansion of O'Hare International Airport. That legislation never materialized.

The mayor promised to reimburse the 16 stranded pilots the costs of having their planes disassembled and trucked away, were that to become necessary. But city survey crews Tuesday determined to the FAA's satisfaction that Meigs' taxiway could be used safely for takeoffs.
Copyright © 2003, Chicago Tribune

Daley's abuse of power leaves marks on city


Published April 2, 2003


I've been trying to figure out Chicago's outrage over what Mayor Richard Daley did to Meigs Field, after he sent bulldozers at night to ruin the nice little lakefront airport.

And I started out to joke about how the savaging of a tiny airport upset so many. But then I realized that Mayor Little Big Man's destruction of Meigs isn't funny.

Yet his carving of the large ugly X's into the landing strip, his arrogance in brushing off questions, has accomplished something remarkable. He crystallized things for Chicago.

This is not a complicated story of insider deals, of contracts, connections, of documented paper trails.

Rather, it is simple, with photographs, something TV is interested in watching: the destruction of a valuable resource simply because it was in Daley's way, and because he knew no one could stop him.

Little Big Man finally revealed himself as the absolute boss ruling Chicago and Cook County with wrought-iron fists.

Most readers, and a few of his newfound critics, are bothered that he destroyed the airport at night. They're aggravated that he'd use a pathetic story--protecting Chicago from tiny-plane terrorism--as cover for vandalizing Meigs, which he has wanted to do for years.

Will it be another $500 million park--the bond financing arranged by the influential bond seller Tony Fratto, finally costing a billion in real money?

Or will it become a casino?

One thing it's not anymore is an airport. It was chopped up before the Friends of Meigs Field could get to a judge. But Daley is the one who elects judges.

Compared to other things he's done, Meigs is chump change, almost insignificant in dollars and in the exercise of power.

The other things weren't done at night. They were done during broad daylight, hundreds of millions of dollars worth of deals paid for by taxpayers.

The wrought iron from his pals, the concrete flower boxes, the asphalt, the gargantuan salt contracts, the salt spread so heavily each night in winter that city crews had to sweep the pasty choking stuff off the Loop streets in the morning.

The French bus shelter deal went through, with his allies on the CTA board attached. When Michigan Avenue merchants balked, they were threatened with blackmail by CTA boss "Honest" Frank Kruesi--their names and businesses were to be plastered on buses.

Or that goofy $600 million Soldier Field renovation--which squats rudely on the lakefront like a fat man trying to squeeze into a pair of tiny shorts.

Or the ridiculously expensive lakefront Millennium Park (Fratto's Field), the phony government minority contracts diverted instead to pink guys with Outfit connections, the car towing deals and so on.

Meanwhile, Daley's brothers get rich on zoning work and the political selling of insurance, and he sneers at those who dare question him.

Few do. Unfortunately, too many Chicago journalists, once considered tough, don't like to aggravate him with questions he doesn't want to answer.

What passes for TV news in Chicago isn't interested in covering politics like it once did. TV often ignores this newspaper's investigative reporting on City Hall and the gutsy editorials on the editorial page about political sleaze and costly layered deals of high-ranking cronies.

On Tuesday, though, even the once feisty Chicago Sun-Times, the Pravda of political Chicago, thought Daley had gone too far.

"Meigs maneuvers land Daley where critics want him," the newspaper headlined its editorial, apparently worried that he had clumsily exposed himself to some evil critic, whoever he is.

By using the awesome leverage of his control over local governments and the courts, by stoking public contracts and subsequent campaign donations to intimidate and buy off his opposition, he's the one boss.

He has co-opted not only the usual political hacks but, shrewdly, has also scooped up the once independent arts community, using organized subsidies, new theaters, grants for dancers, actors, artists, poets.

He has Jesse "The King of Beers" Jackson protecting his flank among blacks. His army of Latino patronage workers, the Hispanic Democratic Organization, weakens Spanish-speaking opposition.

And he remains white in the city of tribes.

Except for some of my colleagues at this newspaper, there is no real challenge to the manner in which he whips Chicago in line, with muscle and with fear.

If you don't believe the fear, ask any tavern owner or shopkeeper, cop, firefighter or city worker. Listen to the trembling voices of corporate business leaders when they're questioned about Meigs. They're terrified of angering him.

Yet for all of that, it has been his destruction of Meigs Field that has distilled one idea in many:

That Cook County and the people in it are his, that Daley can break his toys and leave them strewn on the ground, simply because he can.

[email protected]

:*

[jet_breeze]

If they have the right to trash the runway i'm sure the people should have the right to dig big holes in the park.

[Flying Lawyer]

My name's Turkish

I don't think you'll "evoke the wrath of the moderators" - it was one of the Mods who posted Daley's email address!" :D

[MarkD]

Had this (http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20030404/FRILETS_2-6/TPComment/Letters) published in the Toronto Globe and Mail today in response to this (http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20030403/UBARBM//?query=Meigs+Field) article agreeing with the shutdown and wishing it on YTZ.

[Av8trix]

Have emailed Mr. Daley (for he does not deserve the honorific of mayor), and I encourage those of you who have not yet emailed him to do so. :mad:

[jet_noseover]

Latest in the saga:

As suspected, the “legal wrangling” stopped the further destruction of the airport. Today the moron came on tv and said he still wants Meigs gone, but will keep the tower "functioning" to monitor the lakefront airspace... Figure this one out.
Can't wait to hear what the FAA will have to say.


And this from Chicago Business:

"Minus Meigs, biz will suffer: poll"


http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=8436

[skidcanuck]

Will this action be successful???



________________________________________

Judge to city: Preserve Meigs, for now
Advertisement


By John McCormick
Tribune staff reporter

April 4, 2003, 3:31 PM CST

A Cook County judge this afternoon issued a temporary restraining order barring the city from doing any more demolition work at Meigs Field.

Judge William Maki ordered the city to preserve the taxiway, terminal building and other components that make up the lakefront airport, and set a May 16 hearing date on a preliminary injunction, sought by the Friends of Meigs, against further demolition at the 55-year-old airfield.

Michael Forti, deputy corporation counsel for Chicago, said the city likely would be back in court in the near future to file a motion to dismiss the pilots' suit.

Separately, a national organization of pilots called for an economic boycott of Chicago and a freeze on federal funding for O'Hare International and Midway Airports until Meigs reopens.

Caught by surprise by Mayor Richard Daley's overnight move Sunday and early Monday to have heavy construction equipment carve Xs into Meigs' runway, the pilots' group filed a lawsuit this morning, accusing the city of acting illegally. The plaintiffs' goal is to force the city into reopening the airport.

Rachel Goodstein, president of Friends of Meigs, said the city's actions were "not only outrageous and shocking to all Chicagoans, they were also illegal."

Speaking at a Daley Center news conference this morning, Steve Whitney, a past president of Friends of Meigs, said the loss of the airport hurts more than just small-plane owners.

"It's a huge economic asset to the city," he said. "It relieves congestion at the other airports. It's a public safety asset in terms of medivac flights and air traffic control."

Other plaintiffs include individual taxpayers, medical transport professionals, air traffic controllers and volunteers in the Young Eagles aviation education program for children, pilots said.

Daley has defended Meigs' closing as necessary to protect the public against possible terrorist attacks by small airplanes. The suit, however, contends the closing itself threatens public safety by hampering air traffic, critical care for medical patients and disaster planning for bio-terrorist attacks.

As an example of Meigs' safety role, the pilots played an audiotape of radio transmissions Wednesday between Meigs' tower controller and two aircraft that the pilots said averted a mid-air collision in the downtown area. The tower is to be closed with the airport.

The pilots also cited a December 2001 deal between Daley and then-Gov. George Ryan. In exchange for Ryan's support for federal legislation authorizing the expansion of O'Hare International Airport, Daley agreed to keep Meigs open until at least 2006, and for up to 24 years unless the Illinois General Assembly decreed otherwise.

The legislation never passed, and Daley has indicated he no longer feels bound by the deal.

Separately, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association is calling on its 400,000 members to boycott Chicago for business meetings and conventions.

The organization said it is filing a formal complaint with the FAA, accusing the city of violating federal regulations requiring at least a 30-day notice before closing an airport, and demanding that federal funds be frozen for O'Hare and Midway until Meigs reopens.

The organization also said it is filing a complaint with the Illinois Department of Transportation, accusing the city of violating state regulations requiring approval for alternations to an existing airport.

Karen Levine, a lawyer representing Friends of Meigs, said the suit accuses the city of violating state law by making alterations to an airport runway without getting IDOT's approval. "As a result, they've taken away a public use, and they've also acted without authority," Levine said.

Earlier this week, though, an IDOT spokesman said the law only dealt with changes to runways that would affect safety at an operating airport and was not intended to force unwilling airport operators to continue operating.
Copyright © 2003, The Associated Press

:confused: :confused:

[S76Heavy]

Only in America:rolleyes:

It looks like the inmates really have taken over the asylum. :yuk: I just hope that silly mayor gets what he deserves, a royal kick in the behind.:}

[BEagle]

How can any sane society tolerate such outrageously totalitarian behaviour?

If there was any justice, Daley would be adjudged as 'not fit to hold public office', booted out of his position and be required to restore the airport at his own expense. But no, there'll be some overpaid smart-ass lawyer who'll get him off the hook......

Good luck to the AOPA campaign!

[Anti-ice]

Patch for FS2002 now available at flightsim.com ;)

Hope this idiot is removed from office ( by bulldozer preferably ):D

Hope current action brings Meigs back too , looks awful on the webcam - deep gouges and concrete piled high.unbelievable.:(

[skidcanuck]

Even Tom Ridge is puzzled!!!

________________________________

Ridge `disappointed' at Daley's closing of Meigs Field



By Frank James, Washington Bureau. Tribune staff reporter John McCormick in Chicago contributed to this report

April 9, 2003

WASHINGTON -- Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge on Tuesday took issue with Chicago Mayor Richard Daley's decision to close Meigs Field, saying he regretted the move and suggesting that the mayor's action stemmed from concerns that predated the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the U.S.

In a meeting with reporters, Ridge refused to be drawn into the issue of whether the closing constituted a security issue for the city, but he pointedly added that he always enjoyed flying into the airport.

"I'm disappointed they closed it," Ridge said of the decision, which Daley has portrayed as intended to increase security for Chicago's downtown against suicide attacks by terrorists in small aircraft.

"As [Pennsylvania] governor I occasionally used it. It's a beautiful short runway along the lake," Ridge added.

The mayor's office declined to comment on Ridge's statements, saying only that Daley maintains the closing of Meigs was necessary to protect downtown residents and workers from attack.

But Ridge acknowledged the mayor's action, which took place in the middle of the night, underscores the challenges his new department faces in crafting a coherent national security strategy along with municipal governments.

Asked repeatedly if the people of Chicago were safer because of the Meigs' closure, Ridge never said yes. "From the mayor's point of view, they are," he finally said.

Though Ridge clearly didn't want to openly question Daley's motives, he said he was aware the mayor had long wanted Meigs shut. The mayor has said in the past he wanted to turn the airport into a lakefront park.

"That decision to close that field, that impetus was prior to 9/11, at least to my recollection, they were planning on closing that thing even before Sept. 11," Ridge said.

"Right now," Ridge said, "I am certainly not in a position to say to a mayor of one of the largest, greatest cities in the world, your assessment in regard to a threat [that] general aviation had to your city, because of the proximity to the airport, is inaccurate and we can overrule you. We certainly are not there."

Daley's action, something Ridge, the nation's top domestic-security official, never sought and was sorry to learn of, underscored a problem Ridge has encountered in his first few weeks as secretary.

"You can't tell mayors what to do," said Ridge, whose department opened officially last month. "We don't have the authority to do that. That's the challenge in trying to develop a national homeland security strategy" at the federal level.

The problem is reminiscent of what Ridge faced before his job was elevated to a Cabinet position, when he had been homeland security director with an office in the White House.

Because the office lacked Cabinet status, experts said he didn't wield enough power to force other federal officials to follow his strategy.

Ridge's power limited

But moves by Daley as well as other local and state officials show that even as a Cabinet secretary, Ridge's power on the local and state level is limited.

Asked if the mayor told him beforehand that the city was going to close the airport, Ridge said: "No."

Another homeland security official said department officials received notice about the airport's closing just five minutes before the mayor made his public announcement.

Advocates for Meigs Field have called the mayor's security arguments bogus ever since he announced the closing of the 55-year-old airstrip.

"Meigs Field presents no more threat to homeland security than any airport of its type," said Steve Whitney, a leader for Friends of Meigs Field. "It's also a huge asset for countering threats."

Whitney said the flight time difference between Meigs and Midway Airport is only a matter of minutes, so any terrorist targeting downtown could just as easily use the Southwest Side airport.

Whitney said small planes will continue to fly near downtown because the lakefront is a popular flight zone for pilots.

He said Chicago also is less prepared for a disaster with Meigs closed.

The sense that Ridge didn't share Daley's stated concerns about Meigs was reinforced when the secretary indicated he wasn't afraid to ask mayors to close certain facilities or locations when he thought it imperative.

Ridge, for instance, recently asked his friend, Philadelphia Mayor John Street, to keep closed a street adjacent to Independence Hall, a major tourist attraction and the site where the Declaration of Independence was adopted in 1776. The national park also contains the Liberty Bell.

Interior Secretary Gale Norton asked Ridge to call Street because her department feared the casualties and damage a vehicle bomb could do.

"The mayor said no," Ridge recounted, noting that Street cited possible disruption to the community and traffic issues. Still, Ridge said his agency will look for other ways to protect the area.

In the meeting with reporters, Ridge also said his department would directly provide nearly $100 million to seven cities to cover security improvements.

Chicago would receive nearly $11 million as part of a federal urban area security initiative.

The money was in response to recent complaints by mayors that the high terrorist threat level the department put in place at the start of the Iraq war has cost them millions in additional dollars.

What's more, mayors have blamed the federal government's practice of sending money first to the states to then distribute to cities as unnecessarily delaying when the money reached localities.

Distribution of funds

New York will receive the most, about $25 million, followed by Washington at $18 million. Los Angeles will receive about $12 million. San Francisco and Seattle will get about $11 million each, and Houston nearly $9 million.

Cities were chosen based on a combination of factors, including population density, critical infrastructure and assessments of their vulnerability to attack, administration officials said.

"There are a lot of potentially deserving communities," Ridge said.

"But we could spread this money around so that everybody got a little bit and none of it would make a difference. ... We wanted to make sure that significant dollars were distributed so that significant investments could be made."


Copyright © 2003, Chicago Tribune

[Joles]

This guy Mayor Daley is stark raving mad ! I thought only politicians in India were given to these pranks ( but the heat and dust of India keeps their sanity anyways on edge ! 0

I learnt all my virtual flying at Meigs ! I am shocked dismayed and dissapointed to see this go.

Even if the argument was development ( a la a very stupid reason given by a state government in India for trying to raze down the oldest Womens College in the city that dates back to the 1800's ) one could still say Tut ! But a TERRORIST ATTACK ! ???????
I mean how on earth ?
And what happens to the craft still there ?
If a terrorist can strike at the Pentagon, WHAT IS SAFE ANYWAYS ?
So carrying that argument to its logical absurdity, ALL arifields should be shut down due the same reason !
I wish I was there. We could have staged dharnas ( or sit-ins ) and prevented this
Yours Very agitatedly
Joles

[LTNman]

The Federal Aviation Administration is fining the city $33,000 for its demolition of Meigs Field and says it is investigating whether federal funds were improperly diverted to pay for the destruction of the lakefront airport.

Mayor Richard Daley quietly ordered the demolition March 30, 2003. Crews began bulldozing the airport's only runway late that night.

Daley had argued Meigs could have helped terrorists attack nearby landmarks such as Sears Tower; critics say he exploited terror fears to pursue his goal of making a park out of the airfield.

The city, however, failed to give the FAA a required 30-day notice before it shut down Meigs Field, agency spokesman Tony Molinaro said.

The fine proposed Friday is $1,100 a day for every day the city failed to give notice.

The city can pay the fine, request a meeting with FAA officials or seek a hearing with an administrative law judge, Molinaro said.

The FAA is also investigating whether $1.5 million was improperly diverted from the O'Hare Airport Development Fund to pay for the demolition, Molinaro said. The FAA had warned the city against using the funds for work at Meigs Field before the order was given to tear up the runway, Molinaro said.

City Department of Aviation spokeswoman Annette Martinez said the city has received the complaint and is reviewing it, and denied the city misused federal funds.

The FAA could fine the city up to $4.5 million if it is determined the funds were improperly used and the city refuses to return the money, Molinaro said.

[lead zeppelin]

Chicago Makes Case for Using AIP Funds To Bulldoze Meigs
Last Friday the city of Chicago filed a 43-page legal brief with the FAA claiming the city was justified in using $2.8 million in Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funding to tear up Meigs Field in March 2003. The brief came in response to an October FAA investigation into whether or not funds intended for O’Hare and Midway were illegally used to destroy Meigs. The city claims there is precedent for using such funds to dismantle “abandoned” airports, citing the cases of Denver Stapleton and Austin (Texas) Robert Mueller Airports. Both sites were shut down concurrently with the opening of new airports meant to take their places—Denver International Airport and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, respectively. Critics of the city’s actions dispute the connection. AOPA president Phil Boyer said the funds were meant for airport construction, not destruction. An NBAA spokesman said the application of AIP funding in this case was a “gross misuse” of the money, since—unlike the two cases cited as precedent—the action served to “reduce capacity rather than increase it.” The FAA must decide if the use of the funds was appropriate. According to AOPA, the city could face fines of up to three times the $2.8 million diverted, or $8.4 million.

[lead zeppelin]

CHICAGO USED AIRPORT MONEY TO DESTROY MEIGS
The City of Chicago is telling the FAA that Meigs Field was an "abandoned" airport that had to be cleaned up. That assertion comes in response to an FAA probe into whether the city illegally used federal funds. AOPA President Phil Boyer described the city's stance as "another insult." Acting on a complaint filed by AOPA in February, the FAA has proposed fining Chicago $33,100, the maximum allowed, for not providing a required 30-day notice before closing Meigs Field. The FAA is also investigating whether the city illegally diverted $1.5 million in federal funds intended for O'Hare Airport improvements to rip up Meigs' runway and tear down the control tower. In a 40-page legal brief responding to the FAA's notice of investigation, Chicago admitted that it actually spent $2.8 million of O'Hare and Midway airport development funds to destroy Meigs and remove any evidence that it was once an airport. "Meigs Field was willfully destroyed by elected officials using public monies that were intended for airport construction, not destruction," Boyer said. "We're analyzing the city's brief to determine if there is an appropriate legal response from AOPA. But it's clear that the city is—once again—engaging in revisionist history and justification." If the FAA determines Chicago used airport funds improperly, it could fine the city three times the amount of diverted funds. That could make the fine as much as $8.4 million. See AOPA Online.

[MarkD]

the fact that aircraft had to leave the field by taxiway t/o shows Meigs was hardly abandoned.

[terryJones]

I just wonered if anyone knew the latest position here, having heard nothing for some time.
We know the field is lost, but has that mare, sorry, mayor, had to pay up?

I thought it was happening again at Shoreham, the webcam shows a bulldozer.... http://www.shorehamairport.co.uk/webcam.asp