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American Morning
Controversy Over Expansion of O'Hare Airport Heats Up
Aired July 27, 2001 - 09:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: In Chicago, the news is over run-ins over runways. People and politicians are at odds over how to solve the problem of endless airline delays and congestion at O'Hare International Airport. What happens in Chicago can affect how you all across the country make it to your destination.
Our Chicago bureau chief Jeff Flock is there with the latest in the airport neighborhood that is in question -- Jeff, good morning.
JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn.
You know, they're trying to make it better for everybody that flies around the country and, in fact, around the world and comes through O'Hare, but to do that, part of the plan is to, in fact, level a neighborhood. We're in one of those neighborhoods right now. Perhaps you get some sense of it. But we want to get a little more up close and personal with Bill Muzyka.
This is your house back here, right, Bill?
WILLIAM MUZYKA, RESIDENT: Yes, it is.
FLOCK: And this is going to be bulldozed, right?
MUZYKA: Yes. It'll be gone according to O'Hare Field, if they get their way.
FLOCK: What do you think about that?
MUZYKA: I think it's a bad situation.
FLOCK: Show me your house here, because you've lived here -- go ahead, Bruce, and give them a look at what Bill's house looks like. And Bill, you've lived here since when?
MUZYKA: I, we moved in in the latter part of '61. the grandparents had it and when they passed...
FLOCK: So you'll have to leave?
MUZYKA: Yes, well...
FLOCK: Are you going to fight that? MUZYKA: Yes, I'm going to fight it, unless they come up with the right numbers, maybe I won't fight it, because I'm not going to try to throw good money away, you know, after bad. But I mean if it's a low ball figure, then I will fight it.
FLOCK: Give me a sense of the neighborhood. Let's take a stroll on through here, because we're talking, what is it, 500 and some homes?
MUZYKA: About 545 homes, I believe, in this area that would have to be destroyed, not only on this side of Irving Park, on the other side, plus we have, there's other buildings other...
FLOCK: In addition to the...
MUZYKA: ... factories.
FLOCK: Yes.
MUZYKA: Right. Right. Now, I'm looking at your big tree up here now. How long has that been here?
FLOCK: It's been here as long as I can remember and that's probably, I would say, in the late 40s.
MUZYKA: I've got to be devil's advocate here, because we don't have anybody from the city here, but they say progress, you know? I mean the delay problem at O'Hare is a major problem. I've flown through there. It's a mess.
FLOCK: Yes.
MUZYKA: They've got to do something about it.
FLOCK: I feel that if they moved part of the operation to Peotone, maybe split some up with Rockford, they wouldn't have to do that.
MUZYKA: So build a new airport is what you're saying?
FLOCK: Right.
MUZYKA: OK, Bill Muzyka, appreciate the tour and appreciate the time this morning in this neighborhood that, if folks at O'Hare have their way, might not be here much longer. That's the latest from here, Bensenville, Illinois. Back to you folks.
KAGAN: All right, Jeff, thank you very much.
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