Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb wants to close the city's Downtown airport and reclaim 450 acres of lakefront property by the end of 2029, but some city officials aren't yet sold.
Burke Lakefront Airport largely serves private and corporate jets and is home to the annual Cleveland National Air Show. Bibb has said it's a major barrier to valuable Downtown lakefront space as his administration works on a sweeping master plan to increase public access to the city's two waterfronts.
But Cleveland City Council members, some of whom have said they felt in the dark regarding major Downtown decisions like this and the Browns exit deal, want more details about the controversial plan and its impact on residents.
"The mayor's preference to close the airport aligns with many in the community who see Burke as an opportunity to connect us with the waterfront," said West Side Council Member Charles Slife at a Wednesday Transportation and Mobility committee hearing. "My ask of the administration is to prove it ... We've been asked to subsidize project after project, but many residents don't feel they benefit in their routine day-to-day life from the subsidies they're providing."
It's the latest in the council and administration's tug-of-war between "Downtown versus the neighborhoods." Some members have criticized Bibb for focusing an unbalanced amount of attention and resources on Downtown projects at what they say is a cost to basic city services for residents.
"Good paying jobs are leaving the city, we're losing the Cleveland Browns, we're losing 18 more schools that are going to be closed. We can not continue to make bad decisions," said East Side Councilmember Mike Polensek. "Show me a plan that benefits the neighborhoods in the City of Cleveland by Burke airport going away."
Bibb and his administration have maintained that what's good for Downtown is good for neighborhoods — and the rest of the region. He argues that redeveloping the Burke site would generate more money for city services.
"Burke Lakefront Airport is not contributing to the city's growth," said Jessica Trivisonno, the mayor's deputy chief of staff. "It is not contributing meaningfully economically, and I have never once met a resident of the city of Cleveland who has utilized Burke Lakefront Airport."
But council members worry it's a bit more complicated than that: the site, most of which is built on top of a landfill, includes a submerged land lease and other legal and environmental complexities that some members fear could become costly for taxpayers.
"It is not so simplistic to say Burke losing money automatically means that there's a way to reposition it to everybody's benefit," Slife said.
The Wednesday presentation was the first in several hearings exploring the legality, viability and economic impact of closing Burke.
There is not yet legislation before council.
Last fall, Bibb penned a letter to U.S. Senators Bernie Moreno and Jon Husted and other federal officials asking for support to decommission the airport. He wants the same support from City Council.
