Wind farm instead of airport at Peotone?

July 16th, 2009 at 01:20pm Thomas V. Bona

Well, don’t get your hopes up too much, opponents of a new south suburban Chicago airport. But The Southtown Star is reporting that some area residents there would rather bring in a wind farm than the much-talked-about airport.

It’s somewhat of a crazy concept for now, but local residents and airport opponents are starting to court companies that specialize in developing wind farms to see if there is any interest.

A lot of dominoes would have to fall for the south suburbs to get their own Windy City.

Since 2001, the Illinois Department of Transportation has acquired more than 2,100 acres of the roughly 5,000 needed for the airport.

But the airport is no closer to getting built, leaving vacant tracts that no longer generate tax revenue for local governments.

“It’s just sitting there, doing nothing,” Will Township Supervisor Brian Cann said. “We want to investigate all of our possibilities.”

Just as long as they they don’t steal our solar farm idea.

The story goes on to say it’s unlikely, though, that the state would yield on its plan for a south suburban airport.  The capital plan signed Monday by Gov. Quinn includes at least $125 million toward the airport project, and Quinn vowed earlier this year to get it built.

Chicago Rockford International Airport officials continue to feel they can do the job of a Peotone airport. Executive Director Bob O’Brien said this week, ““I find it disappointing, personally and professionally, when existing going airports and businesses can benefit and bring jobs faster than continued land banking and related efforts at Peotone.”

RFD expects to get funding from the capital plan, too, though officials aren’t sure yet which projects will get funding.

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