Mon, Nov 29, 2004
Friends Of Meigs Wants To Know
Chicago's Park District Authority says it wants to work with the
city's residents to come up with the perfect way to use Northerly
Island. You might remember Northerly Island -- it's where Meigs
Field stood until Chicago Mayor Richard Daley ordered its
undercover destruction.
This month, the Park District has been holding public meetings
at what was once the Meigs terminal building. That's where Steve
Whitney, president of the Friends of Meigs, stood up and challenged
the city's pledge to find the best use for what was once Chicago's
downtown airport.
"They say they are trying to reach out for the input of the
citizens of Chicago," said Whitney, quoted in the Chicago Tribune.
"We are going to try to work with them to see if they are acting in
good faith."
Whitney's idea is to create an aviation museum, a rebuilt runway
and a surrounding park on Northerly Island. To make that vision
more enticing, he points out the FAA would probably fund a good
portion of the project, saving the city upwards of $100
million.
The Park Authority wasn't very receptive to the idea as Whitney
described it earlier this month. "There are no parks where
airstrips are a compatible use," said Arnold Randall, the district
director of planning and development. "Typically, park spaces are
places you can go and escape from urban life and noises."
No compatible use? Whitney and his
group are asking for examples of parks coexisting with
airports.
We spotted several possibilities with just a cursory search of
ANN's archives and the Internet. For instance, the USAF Museum and
National Aviation Hall of Fame are located on the grounds of
Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, OH. Pensacola city officials are
now considering funding an aviation park at Pensacola Regional
Airport. Then there's the College Park Aviation Museum on the
grounds of the College Park Airport in Maryland.
Can you find other examples?
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