“Nobody gets a do-over like this:” Momentum builds to claim Cleveland’s lakefront from Burke

The momentum to close Burke Lakefront Airport has reached a tipping point, with Today in Ohio podcast hosts suggesting the facility could cease operations within the next year or two.

What was once considered a radical idea has now entered the mainstream of Cleveland civic discourse.

“Burke sits on 450 acres of downtown shoreline, ” said Leila Atassi. “It’s basically an entire waterfront district. And it’s been squatting there for 78 years. And it serves this tiny slice of the population while losing the city nearly a million dollars a year.”

The airport occupies half of Cleveland’s downtown lakefront, which sets the city apart. No other major American city has anything close, but cities around the world have transformed much smaller parcels into vibrant destinations that serve their