Representatives from the Lakefront Airport Preservation Partnership (LAPP) met with senior leaders from Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb’s office on Tuesday to discuss the future of Burke Lakefront Airport and encourage continued collaboration and investment. At the same time, LAPP representatives expressed support for a series of upcoming city council hearings on the proposed closure of the airport.
“We appreciate Mayor Bibb’s staff taking the time to hear our concerns,” said AOPA Great Lakes Regional Manager Kyle Lewis, who helped found the LAPP. “We’re encouraged by their commitment to continued dialogue about what the future of Burke Lakefront looks like.”
Lewis and the other LAPP representatives encouraged the mayor’s staff to request a study from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to examine all potential uses for the 450-acre site and to allow for long-term leases on the airport site.
“This doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing,” said Lewis. “We’re not saying the airport has to stay open with its current footprint. We believe there may be room to find some middle ground that allows for portions of the airport property to be redeveloped without closing the airport.”
“By not accepting federal grant dollars for infrastructure improvements and not allowing for long-term leases for airport businesses, the city has contributed significantly to some of the problems that have been discussed,” added Lewis. “Airport operators told the mayor’s staff they have millions to invest at the airport but will not do so unless they can reasonably expect a return on that investment.”
On Tuesday, the Cleveland City Council also announced a series of four hearings to “learn more about the administration’s proposed closure” of the airport. Each will focus on a different aspect of the closure and redevelopment:
- January 21: Expenses and Obstacles to Development
- February 4: Budget Implications and the General Fund
- April 1: The Regulatory Path to Closure
- April 15: Market Absorption and Real-World Appeal
“Our goal is to determine if closure is not just desirable, but practical and financially responsible,” said Councilman Charles Slife, who chairs the council’s Transportation and Mobility Committee, in a news release. “We cannot afford to close an airport for a redevelopment project that the market cannot sustain or the City cannot afford to maintain. Clevelanders deserve an open conversation about the timelines and costs associated with this vision.”
“We appreciate Councilman Slife taking an objective look at this proposal and whether it will benefit Cleveland taxpayers,” said Lewis. “Between the cost to remediate a site that is largely built on a landfill, the loss of a downtown airport that provides unique value for businesses and life-saving emergency transportation, the regulatory complexity and timelines required to close an active airport, and the uncertainty surrounding whether redevelopment would justify those costs, we think it will become clear that closing Burke Lakefront is not in the city’s best interest.”
