I think Bovingdon airfield is a pretty relevant cautionary tale; the residents carped constantly and vociferously about the pesky aircraft, so the actual airfield was shut. However, the VOR remains active and an Open Prison was built on the site.
So, they now have a bunch of dangerous crims as neighbours, instead of the pilots, lots of aircraft overhead (because of the BNN beacon) but no one landing and thereby contributing to the local economy.......
I think that the aphorism "be careful what you wish for, as your wish may come true" comes to mind. Given a choice between a multi-use socking great sports stadium and an airfield, I know which I'd choose!