Three paths exist to close Burke Lakefront Airport, according to Mayor Justin Bibb's administration, two of which could cost the city millions of dollars in grant repayments.
The first option, to wait for grant obligations to expire in 2039, is least appealing to Bibb, who has been adamant about wanting to close the downtown airport by the end of his second term in 2029.
So, the city is lobbying two federal entities in tandem: the Federal Aviation Administration and Congress.
Approval from the former would require proof of a net benefit to aviation, which Cleveland Chief Strategy Officer Jessica Trivisonno characterized as unlikely.
"The FAA is just not in the business of closing airports," she told members of Cleveland City Council at a Wednesday hearing. "They are in the business of opening airports and keeping airports open."
Trivisonno said an argument could be made for the "safety" of Cleveland Hopkins International Airport by ensuring a concentration of all air traffic in one part of the city instead of potentially overlapping flight patterns. The study to prove such benefits would cost approximately $250,000. The city estimates an additional $500,000 toward other related research, such as an implementation plan and environmental study.
If the FAA approved the closure, the city would have to pay more than $7 million for the remaining unexpired grants.
Perhaps more feasibly, the city is hoping for an act of Congress to close the airport by bypassing FAA, while also forgiving any federal grants. Still, the city could owe about $1.7 million back to the Ohio Department of Transportation.
Chief Operating Officer Bonnie Teeuwen said the city would also lobby the state to forgive those grants.
Council members criticize Bibb's Burke plans
Even as the Bibb administration is pushing to close Burke, which primarily serves corporate and private jets, some council members want to slow the process.
Councilmember Mike Polensek, who represents Collinwood on the East Side, said he鈥檚 open to working with the administration on projects at the Burke site that could generate jobs and revenue. But he has concerns that Bibb is pursuing those options without council approval.
"You can try to kill Burke on a national level but you still gotta get a vote from Cleveland City Council," Polensek said.
There is no legislation currently before council regarding Burke. Councilmember Charles Slife, who heads the Transportation and Mobility committee, said he does not plan to move forward with local approval until a federal decision has been made.
"That would be jumping the gun," Slife said.
Polensek also mocked the concept plans released by the administration last week, which imagined public and private enterprises on the 450 acres of lakefront land. Renderings included a golf course, miles of walking trails, a youth sports complex and more.
"The only thing missing is a petting zoo and putt-putt," he said, eliciting scattered claps from the meeting room. "O.K.? That鈥檚 what's missing. And maybe a big Slip 'N Slide."
He said his residents were "laughing" at the proposals, and he would be "embarrassed to float this crap."
Trivisonno reiterated that the study was not a master plan, which would be solidified if the closure proceeds.
