Chicago’s South Suburban Airport edges closer to fruition as state legislature backs a PPP procedure
Of all the many airport projects that have dragged on interminably, such as Berlin Brandenburg and Heathrow's third runway, one of the most protracted of the lot is Chicago's South Suburban Airport.
It was first envisaged in 1968 - even before Man went to the Moon. And, truth to tell, there is no compulsive logic for it.
As a freight reliever airport for metropolitan Chicago it would be in competition with existing airports to the northwest and southeast of the city. But the driver here is jobs in underinvested communities, one which is likely to trump objections on cost and environmental grounds.
Now the Illinois state legislature has resolved that the Transportation Department must prequalify private firms for a PPP development within six months. The problem is: which firms want to be involved? A chicken and egg situation has developed, with airlines and developers each waiting for the other to be the first mover.
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