Register

Park Set to Open on Former Meigs Field Site

** Meigs Field (Photo courtesy of Marge Beaver)**
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Meigs Field, Chicago's former lakefront airport, has been permanently transformed into Northerly Island Park, featuring a 5-acre lagoon, walking paths, and hills, making a reopening impossible.
  • The 40-acre park transformation cost $9.7 million, with the majority ($6.3 million) funded by federal tax dollars primarily for a "Great Lakes Fishery and Ecosystem Restoration" project.
  • This development officially opens over 12 years after the airport's controversial and "illegally demolishing" closure, ending any remaining hopes for an airport on Northerly Island.
See a mistake? Contact us.

If you’re one of the thousands of people who has held out hope for a reopening of Meigs Field, the beautiful lakefront airport that was conveniently located on Lake Michigan in downtown Chicago, we’re sad to announce that there will likely never again be an airport on Northerly Island. The city of Chicago is holding an opening ceremony for Northerly Island Park on Friday, more than 12 years after bulldozers dug up the runway at Meigs.

A 5-acre lagoon now cuts through the center of the peninsula where airplanes used to land on Meigs’ 3,900-foot-long runway. A walking/biking path winds around several hills that have been contoured into the formerly flat open fields.

Pia Bergqvist

Pia Bergqvist joined FLYING in December 2010. A passionate aviator, Pia started flying in 1999 and quickly obtained her single- and multi-engine commercial, instrument and instructor ratings. After a decade of working in general aviation, Pia has accumulated almost 3,000 hours of flight time in nearly 40 different types of aircraft.

Ready to Sell Your Aircraft?

List your airplane on AircraftForSale.com and reach qualified buyers.

List Your Aircraft
AircraftForSale Logo | FLYING Logo
Pilot in aircraft
Sign-up for newsletters & special offers!

Get the latest stories & special offers delivered directly to your inbox.

SUBSCRIBE