"FAA to give $300 mil. for O'Hare"

Saturday, October 8, 2005

FAA to give $300 mil. for O'Hare 
The Associated Press


The Federal Aviation Administration plans to grant Chicago the full $300
million the city requested for the first phase of a $15 billion makeover of
O'Hare International Airport-- in another sign of the federal agency's
commitment to the ambitious expansion project.

In a statement Saturday from the FAA, the agency said it told Congress it
intends to release the $300 million, which is considered a linchpin of the
city's financing for the project designed to relieve chronic delays.

The FAA also referred to its plan to release the money in a filing Friday
with a federal appeals court in Washington, D.C. In that filing, the agency
asks the court to lift an order granted at the request of airport opponents
that temporarily halted construction at O'Hare.

On Sept. 30, the FAA gave the go-ahead for the multibillion the expansion
project, which will add some runways, reconfigure others and build another
terminal. When the project is done, O'Hare should be able to handle 1.2
million landings and takeoffs annually, 300,000 more than now, the FAA has
said.

Chicago plans to sell bonds to pay for much of the expansion project, and
major airlines agreed with the bond plan for the first phase, on condition
the city received the full $300 million.

There had been indications the FAA would not award the full amount.

In a report this year, for instance, U.S. Department of Transportation
Inspector General Kenneth Mead called the $300 million "an unusually large
request."

The FAA said it notified Congress Thursday about its intention to distribute
the money. Over the next 30 days, Congress could call for hearings or take
no action, which would allow the FAA to release the grant.

The promise to give Chicago the funds comes without an FAA ruling on whether
the benefits of the expansion project outweigh its costs. Agency spokesman
Tony Molinaro said a final decision on that issue must be made before any of
the grant money is handed over.

Opponents were unhappy with the FAA's plans to release the $300 million.

"This is an attempt to play a shell game with the law," said attorney Joe
Karaganis, who represents Elk Grove Village, Bensenville and a cemetery that
borders the airport.

A message seeking comment from Rosemarie Andolino, Chicago's airport
expansion chief, was not immediately returned on Saturday.

Within hours of the FAA's approval last month of the expansion, federal
judges granted the stay while they considered an emergency motion filed by
opponents, who sought to halt construction.

The airport expansion would force about 2,600 people and nearly 200
businesses in the Chicago suburbs of Bensenville, Des Plaines and Elk Grove
Village to relocate. The 440-acre expansion also would require that the city
move St. Johannes Cemetery, which is owned by St. John's United Church of
Christ.

Bensenville, Elk Grove Village and St. John's United Church of Christ were
among the opponents who asked the U.S. Court of Appeals to block the FAA's
decision to allow the O'Hare project.

In its Friday filing calling for the stay to be lifted, the FAA argued that
"delay in construction of even a short duration will cause profound harm to
the project-- increasing its costs and postponing its benefits."


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