For decades, there have been conversations in Northeast Ohio over what to do with the more than 400 acres of land that make up Burke Lakefront Airport.
The airport remains in use, but the prime lakefront property has often been the target of development speculation.
Residents, city officials and developers have asked if the airport that now only services about 40,000 flights a year is worth keeping open.
Last week, the city of Cleveland released two reports that examined the economic impacts of closing the airport and the potential impact of redeveloping the area.
It’s a move from the Bibb administration that comes in stark contrast to his predecessor, Frank Jackson, who was strongly opposed to the closure of Burke.
Monday on the “Sound of Ideas,” we’ll have a conversation about the closing of Burke Lakefront Airport.
With the city looking to construct a new land bridge linking Downtown and the lakefront, and the Browns ownership looking to build a new stadium, does the thought of redeveloping Burke have more appeal?
We’ll also discuss the drawbacks of the idea. The airport is built on a landfill, and the environmental challenges that provides are numerous.
The airport is also connected to the Federal Aviation Administration through a series of grants, and the closure would mean the City of Cleveland entering a series of complicated negotiations with the FAA.
Later in the hour, we’ll hear from journalist and author Andrew Welsh-Huggins. He’s a reporter for the Associated Press in Columbus, but he’s also a novelist, with his latest book having recently been released.
He’ll be in Northeast Ohio Monday night speaking at the Cuyahoga County Public Library.
GUESTS:
- Steven Litt, Former Art and Architecture Critic, The Plain Dealer/Cleveland.com
- Jeff Epstein, Chief Integrated Development Officer, The City of Cleveland
- Bonnie Teeuwen, Chief Operating Officer, The City of Cleveland
- Stephanie Czekalinski, Deputy Editor For News, Ideastream Public Media
- Andrew Welsh-Huggins, Journalist and Author, "Sick To Death: An Andy Hayes Mystery"
