Cleveland airport tenants say city lease freeze blocks millions in investment

Airport tenants at Cleveland's Burke Lakefront Airport told the city's Transportation and Mobility Committee on Wednesday that lease uncertainty is preventing tens of millions of dollars in proposed facility development, according to AVweb.

The Lakefront Airport Preservation Partnership (LAPP) said several tenants are prepared to invest in expansions but cannot move forward without long-term lease agreements. The hearing comes as Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb has proposed closing the airport by 2029 as part of a lakefront redevelopment plan.

Tenants outline blocked investments

Aitheras Aviation founder George Katsikas discussed the airport's role in transporting organs for transplant patients and proposed developing an air medical campus at Burke. Katsikas said relocating those operations to other regional airports could affect patient care.

Representatives from Signature Aviation and Davis Aerospace & Maritime High School also described expansion plans that have been delayed by lease uncertainty. Council Member Michael Polensek characterised the city's approach as "demolition by neglect," saying during the hearing: "This administration will not extend leases at Burke Airport, doesn't want to get any investment at Burke Airport, which is mind-boggling to me."

The reporting does not disclose the specific amounts any tenant plans to invest, or the scale or timeline of the proposed expansions.

City opposes leases as part of redevelopment plan

Cleveland officials have argued that the airport is underused and that redeveloping its approximately 450 acres could expand public lakefront access and generate new economic activity. The city has not formally requested FAA approval to close the airport.

The closure proposal has faced opposition from FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford and Ohio Senators Bernie Moreno and Jon Husted. Council members took no vote during Wednesday's hearing.

It is unclear from available reporting whether the city intends to maintain the current lease freeze or whether tenants' testimony at the hearing has prompted any reconsideration of that position.