Thread by @BenSzalinski

Should Chicago get a 3rd cargo-specific airport? A bill by Rep. Will Davis that could be voted on this week attempts to let the long-proposed project take flight🛫 #twill
1/7
thedailyline.com/bill-help-long…

Rep. Will Davis: “I think they’ve quietly said ‘if it’s there, we’ll use it'...they’ll take advantage of the efficiencies involved in landing those freights a little closer to where they’re ultimately going to distribute it from.” 2/7

.@BradTietz from @ChicagolandCmbr said ORD and RFD are meeting the cargo demand already: “We just don’t see a need or the demand for a third airport in Peotone. It really, from our perspective, is a solution in search of a problem. 3/7

.@SenStadelman on Rockford's impact on his community: “It’s growing, it continues to expand and if there’s going be state dollars invested, I would love to see it at the Rockford airport and other airports around the state.” 4/7

.@GovPritzker isn't sold: "What you don’t want is an ‘if you build it, they will come.' Just building the thing and hoping they will show up to essentially pay for the airport having been built. You need to make sure you’re building it because you have interest." 5/7

RFD is one of the US's fastest-growing cargo airports & was the 17th largest cargo airport in 2021. A 2020 IDOT study found it created $4.7B of economic activity and 8K jobs in 2020. O'Hare's cargo operation has also be steadily growing in recent years. 6/7

Supporters of the Peotone airport point out IDOT already owns 90% of the land for the airport. They believe it will be a major economic driver for the Southland as warehouse and manufacturing facilities continue growing in the I-55/I-57/I-80 corridor 7/7