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$8.5B O’Hare Expansion Cleared for Takeoff
Chicago’s City Council signed off Wednesday on the Emanuel administration’s $8.5-billion plan to expand O’Hare International Airport. The upgrades will expand the airport’s overall terminal square footage by more than 60%, from 5.5 million to 8.9 million square feet, and increase gate frontage by 25%.
Mayor Emanuel tweeted Wednesday that the plan to completely redevelop O’Hare’s terminals would “spur new jobs and economic activity for decades to come.” Earlier, as the City Council voted 40-1 to approve new lease agreements with the airlines and a $4-billion borrowing, he told lawmakers, “This is a watershed moment.” Emanuel later held a public signing ceremony with four of O’Hare’s major carriers.
The expansion plan faced turbulence as American Airlines withheld support, asserting that its arch-rival United Airlines got a competitive advantage in gate allocations. However, two weeks ago, the airline reached an agreement with the city and got on board, with American CEO Doug Parker saying, “We look forward to growing at O’Hare in the years to come.”
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