Inside these posts: O’Hare expansion

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City plans $1 billion O’Hare bond issue

Construction workers smooth off concrete mix as they work on the O'Hare expansion project in September 2010. (Chris Walker/Chicago Tribune)

After reaching a crucial compromise with United and American airlines, the city of Chicago is again planning to issue about $1 billion in debt to help fund the final phase of O’Hare International Airport’s expansion.

The city withdrew a $998.9 million bond issue in January after investors’ enthusiasm for the debt was dampened by a collapse in the municipal finance market, a credit-rating downgrade for O’Hare and a lawsuit filed by United and American aimed at blocking the project. Get the full story »

City, airlines reach deal on O’Hare runways

By Jon Hilkevitch | Mayor Richard Daley and United and American airlines have negotiated a breakthrough, $1.7 billion deal to continue runway construction at O’Hare International Airport, according to the United States Department of Transportation.

The department issued a news release this morning that said the agreement on the O’Hare Modernization Program will allow work to begin on an additional south runway at the airport in addition to other improvements that would allow O’Hare to “deal with increasing traffic.”

O’Hare expansion litigation delayed again

By Jon Hilkevitch | Another delay was announced Friday in the litigation over a possible O’Hare expansion to give the city of Chicago and United and American airlines more time to possibly negotiate a settlement, officials said.

A Cook County judge had been scheduled to hear arguments Tuesday on a motion by the city to dismiss the airlines’ request for a preliminary injunction barring Chicago from selling about $1 billion in bonds to finance part of the final phase of new runways at O’Hare International Airport. Get the full story »

O’Hare expansion lawsuit to move to trial

By Jon Hilkevitch | United and American airlines’ lawsuit against Chicago over the expansion of O’Hare International Airport will move toward trial after negotiations have so far failed to break an impasse, officials said Thursday.

Both sides on Thursday asked Judge Richard Billik of Cook County Circuit Court to lift a one-week delay on hearing the lawsuit, which seeks to prevent the city from borrowing more money to keep the O’Hare project going.

The delay was intended to give negotiations a chance to resolve major differences over the financing and timing of new runways. Get the full story »

Judge approves delay in O’Hare expansion suit

By Jon Hilkevitch | A Cook County judge on Thursday approved a five-day delay in hearing the lawsuit that United and American airlines have filed to stop the city of Chicago from borrowing about $1 billion for the expansion of O’Hare International Airport.

United, American suing O’Hare expansion

A passenger plane takes off at O'Hare as work continues in foreground on the runway expansion project. (Chris Walker/Chicago Tribune)

United and American Airlines on Tuesday made good on their threat to sue Chicago to stop the city from issuing bonds to finance the remainder of the expansion project at O’Hare International Airport.

The airlines, which say they cannot afford to help pay for new runways that will not be needed for years, filed the lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court just days after sending  a letter on Friday to Mayor Richard Daley,  asking for negotiations on the future of the O’Hare Modernization Program. The letter said the expansion must proceed based on future increases in flights. Get the full story »