A Northerly Island/Meigs Field Question (park, venue, summer)

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by Irishtom29

...A permanent small arena could look much nicer than the collection of trailers, satellites, tents, cyclone fences and patent scaffolding that's there now.

I just saw about 30 squad cars running up Indiana to Roosevelt going like Billy-be-*******; lights and sirens. Trouble at the fest?

1) Part of the deal was that the venue would only be there for a certain number of years until it the land is turned into a park. The money from the shows is supposed to help fund the new park.

2) I would not be surprised. I hope no (innocent) people died from some scumbag action.

[Avengerfire]

STP tonight! Yes.

[Thepreacherswife]

You know what would be perfect there? An airport for small business aircraft!

Hizzonner can suck it.

[Avengerfire]

Rocking on the lakefront is far preferable to a fat cat water polluting self indulgent airfield. As if Obama would actually fly AirForce One onto it anyway...

I have never seen so many rich pigs whine over a privilege they had for several decades.

While I do disagree with how the land was taken back-in the end-taking the land back was what needed to be done.

The park district has owned the land a VERY long time.

[Thepreacherswife]

Oh give me a freaking break, it "needed to be done?" And WTF does Air Force One have to do with this?

The park district wouldn't have had so much land on Northerly Island in the first place if the state hadn't deeded the city an additional 24 acres next to the original property to make it suitable enough for a runway (this was in 1946, the year that the park district leased the land to the airport). That land was planned for an airport all the way back to the 1920s. The topper to all this is the crappy deal the city signed with Clear Channel which still hasn't brought in enough revenue to the city to recover what it cost the city to rip up the airport and relocate the search and rescue helicopter ops to the south shore area.

Now the business traffic that used to come to Chicago is gone, and not even to the airports in the suburbs. It's just gone, period. And the pleasure traffic and tourism traffic is gone too - there were plenty of small 2- and 4-seaters that used to visit. We're not talking fat cats or rich pigs, any more than fat cats and rich pigs who own small boats in the harbors. Just middle class folks (like me) with a hobby.

But hey, you've got your bread and circuses in the form of lakefront concerts. Hurray for you.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by Thepreacherswife

...there were plenty of small 2- and 4-seaters that used to visit. We're not talking fat cats or rich pigs, any more than fat cats and rich pigs who own small boats in the harbors. Just middle class folks (like me) with a hobby...

Oh please. At best, the only middle class people that own small planes and boats docked/parked in Chicago are upper middle class.

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.

They can suck it.

[Drover]

You know Avenger, I hope you pass that kidney stone real damn soon. Not just for your own comfort but for that of everyone around you.

[Avengerfire]

At least I do not have anal herpes.

[surlycue]

[Attrill]

Originally Posted by Thepreacherswife

Now the business traffic that used to come to Chicago is gone, and not even to the airports in the suburbs. It's just gone, period. And the pleasure traffic and tourism traffic is gone too - there were plenty of small 2- and 4-seaters that used to visit. We're not talking fat cats or rich pigs, any more than fat cats and rich pigs who own small boats in the harbors. Just middle class folks (like me) with a hobby.

.

Ummm..no. There is still plenty of business traffic - it has gone to Midway. There is a tiny amount of recreational traffic that used to come into Meigs that MAY have been lost, but recreational aviation is dying.

In the 60's and 70's flying was still somewhat of a novelty for some people and they'd go and watch planes land and such. That was over by the 80's, and most airports shut down their observation decks during that time period. The number of plane owners is tiny (and shrinking), losing that traffic is meaningless. The city probably lost more train tourism when it built over the tracks in Grant Park than it lost in aviation tourism when it shut Meigs. At the end of the day MANY more people will be using the space as a park and concert venue than ever did when it was an airport.