Mayor Justin Bibb has set his sights on closing Burke Lakefront Airport by the end of his second term, signaling a renewed push to redevelop the city’s downtown lakefront.
“It would be fantastic to get this closed by the end of my second term,” Bibb told local media outlet Cleveland.com. “And I’d be even more excited to get it done over the next 12 to 24 months.”
According to the report, Bibb’s remarks are the first time he has set a public timeline for closing the airport noting that he hopes to convince both Congress and Cleveland City Council to support the measure.
For years, city leaders have weighed decommissioning Burke’s 450 acres to make way for residential and commercial projects. But the plan faces pushback from pilots and business tenants who argue the airport remains a critical regional asset.
Burke averages roughly 50,000 operations annually, including medevac flights, Coast Guard missions, and flight training, according to AOPA. Federal regulations also require Cleveland to show that closing the airport would serve the public interest and that another facility could absorb the displaced traffic.
Upcoming hearings regarding Burke Lakefront’s future begin Jan. 21.
