Phil Boyer, AOPA's president since 1991, was vice president and general manager for WLS-TV in Chicago.
This month is the anniversary and expiration of the five-year agreement between the State of Illinois and City of Chicago that has kept Meigs Field Airport (CGX) open and operating. Opened in 1948, Merrill C. Meigs Field is an important reliever airport located on the beautiful lakefront and is a showcase for the city. In 1994 Mayor Richard Daley announced that Meigs would be closed and turned into a park when the land lease for the airport expired in 1996. AOPA and other organizations in the aviation community mobilized to preserve the gem called Meigs Field. With tremendous effort, we succeeded; at least for the short term.
The airport actually closed for a brief period at the end of 1996. During this time, AOPA filed suit in federal court and the State of Illinois filed suit in state court seeking the reopening of the airport. The Illinois legislature jumped in with legislation to transfer control of the airport from the City of Chicago to the state. Ultimately, the state's suit was settled and the city agreed to leave Meigs open until February 2002. After that, the city would be free to take whatever action it deemed appropriate, including leaving the airport open. With this agreement in place, the legislature dropped its effort to seize the airport as state property. But organizations like AOPA and the Chicago-based Friends of Meigs Field, a local advocate for the airport, saw the handwriting on the wall. Mayor Daley simply planned to wait out the five years to build his park. None of us could just sit by and allow the airport's closure without putting up a fight. The five-year battle was now on. The strategy was developed; tactics were planned and targets identified — media, politicians, and public relations. This was going to be an uphill struggle but the general aviation community was united by the burning desire to win.
Newspaper editorials were written and published, extensive lobbying efforts by AOPA's Regional Representative Bill Blake took place in the state capitol, and I personally traveled to Chicago on numerous occasions to appear on local radio and television programs. Local pilots circulated petitions for signatures and submitted thousands of them to the mayor's office. Congressional representatives were contacted and pledges of support sought.
AOPA launched a television commercial campaign, Meigs Field: A Valuable Resource. Isn't it Worth Saving? that began May 21, 2001. The campaign was intended to make state legislators aware of the importance of this strategically located airport. Copies of the video were delivered to every state legislator as well. This was a full-court press. Time was growing short.
In the days following the tragic events of September 11, as other general aviation airports began to open, Meigs remained solidly locked down. It appeared that His Honor was using the terrorist attacks to speed up the demise of Meigs Field. But politics makes for strange bedfellows. While the mayor wanted a park at CGX, he also had an aggressive expansion plan on tap for O'Hare Airport — a plan that required Illinois Gov. George Ryan's approval. At the same time, the governor wanted a new airport at Peotone, Illinois, something the mayor had not favored. Somewhere in the middle was little Meigs Field. Then it happened; a chink in the mayor's position on Meigs opened when he indicated to Gov. Ryan that everything was negotiable — including Meigs' closure. It became obvious just how badly Daley wanted approval for the massive development plan at O'Hare. GA groups lobbied the governor to insist that Meigs' future be linked directly to the O'Hare plan. Gov. Ryan listened. But as the year drew to an end, negotiations between the governor and mayor were on again and then off again. The deal changed literally by the hour, with regular finger pointing between the two camps in local media. As time passed, it appeared that a deal would not be struck in time to save Meigs. Yet local pilots and AOPA continued to press both sides for a positive resolution that included the ultimate preservation of Meigs Field. It worked!
On December 5, 2001, Illinois Gov. George Ryan and Chicago Mayor Richard Daley inked a deal that saves Meigs Field. The deal to keep Meigs open is part of the larger agreement between the city and state to expand O'Hare International Airport and to build a new airport south of Chicago at Peotone. Meigs will stay open until at least 2026, unless the Illinois legislature votes to close it after 2006. Meigs' operating deficit will be covered by the two largest airlines operating out of O'Hare — United Airlines and American Airlines. Federal legislation is already pending that will prevent future Chicago politics from hampering this deal. The House and Senate bills (H.R.3479 and S.B.1786) are identical in content and codify the agreement reached by the governor and the mayor.
When Mayor Daley first announced his plan to close Meigs Field in 1994, AOPA was there fighting for Meigs. We've been there all along and will continue to lend our support to the local Friends of Meigs group, legislators, and city officials as they work for swift passage of the pending federal legislation that ensures the continued existence of Chicago's Meigs Field. After all, if they can close an airport like this, is your home airport next?
Related Articles
