CLEVELAND — Mayor Justin Bibb says his administration has not made a decision and officials are still looking at options for Burke Lakefront Airport after the city of Cleveland released the results of two studies that look at the impact of closing the facility.
After decades of debate, Bibb says the two studies reinforced his belief that closing Burke is both possible and economically beneficial for Cleveland.
"Both the operational study and the economic impact study give us the data we need to really examine what our options are," Bibb told 3News Wednesday.
The mayor has been open about what he thinks should happen to the 77-year-old airport that sits on 445 acres along Lake Erie.
"As I campaigned on three years ago, I think we should close it," he noted, "but there's a lot of due diligence we have to undertake before we make that final decision."
That will include crunching the numbers — one study showed the airport generates more than $76 million a year. But it will also require looking at what the studies don't address, like engineering and environmental concerns. The airport is built on a landfill.
Still, Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne sees land with great potential.
"I'm with the mayor that looking at new opportunities on the lakefront is right where we need to be," Ronayne said.
The study says the Cuyahoga County Airport in Richmond Heights and Cleveland Hopkins International Airport "could absorb most of its (Burke's) airport activities," like private passenger service, medical transport, or flight training, which make up more than half of Burke's economic impact.
"We're going to be looking at what we need to do to absorb more traffic," Ronayne said of Cuyahoga County Airport. "We're ready, we're capable. It's a modern facility and a part of the regional air service delivery system."
But the study says no other airport in the county could take on the Cleveland National Air Show. Burke has hosted the event since 1964, and experts say ending it would make up a third of the economic loss of closing Burke.
There is also opposition to the airport closing, including from the owner of a flight school located at the airport. Cleveland City Council President Blaine Griffin also raised concerns this week about environmental challenges the studies do not address.
"We're going to continue to talk to the FAA, our federal delegation, our City Council and other key community stake holders to inform our decision for the future," Bibb said.