The lawsuit to stop the destruction of Meigs Field was thrown out and the restraining order was dissolved.
The judge noted Northerly Island, on which Meigs was sited, was created as parkland. It was turned into an airport in the late 1940s at the urging of Chicago newspaper publisher Merrill Meigs. The airport’s owner is the Chicago Park District.
"The original intended use of the land was as a public park," Maki said.
The judge also rejected the plaintiffs’ allegations the city violated the state’s open meetings law by making a significant public policy decision behind closed doors, and violated state law by making alternations to a runway without first getting approval from the Illinois Department of Public Transportation.
Daley deserves lots of the criticism he gets for being heavy-handed and essentially anti-democratic. In this case, he was right. This lawsuit is nothing more than an attempt to thwart public processes that have been working for nearly 10 years now.
Opponents of closing Meigs continue to sue in federal court and are seeking an emergency injunction.
Hmmmmm…any bulldozer sitings out there?