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THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON / • ~~, ~ ~.4 ~ ~~~~~·· ,h41-. ~ f4;t.· 1 ' .0n Today's Editorial Page FINAL . Plight Of The Parks Editorial , Opening Magnet Schools ' •Editorial ST. LOUIS ·POST- [liS PATCH * ; Y,OL. 98 N0.242 Copyrlfbt tt'lt, St. Loab Poo<-Diopal<h WEDNESDAY, ~EPTEMBER 1, 1976 '-t,;;;- EAST SIDE AIRPORT~-l IS APPROVED t-f r By DAVID R. WAUJN Of the Post-Dispatch Staff Secretary of Transportatioh wiiiam T. Coleman Jr. today gave the go-ahead for the proposed new major airport in the Columbia-Waterloo area of the East Side. Coleman designaied the 18,650-acre tract as an airport site. Tbe announce, .Illinois .\nent came at a press conferen~e at the /Bel-Air HUton"Hotel here. ·· ·. The Secretary, appearing at the con· ference in person, also said he has ap­ proved the State of Dlinois's grant for federal funds for land purchases. _ · He said, however, that he has specified that the new airport shall not go ·into nweuen 'bsfurs; ''f. yeqr 1992 unless there tS agreement y a JOmt MISSoun­ Diinois airPort operating authority that earlier operation is possible and practi­ cable. U such a bistate agency is formed, the Secretary said, he foresaw operation-of a lw ~prljer.lie w-ged R:l'irmrtstates to un'! er e alScussions for formation of such an agency. Tbe application for federal funds was submitted several years ago by the agency that Dlinois set up to oversee cre­ ation of the airport, the St. Louis Metro­ politan Area Airport Authority . Federal funds for airport construction normally amoilnt to about 50 per cent of the total, but may be substantially more. Dlinois has allocated $4,200,000 in its current budget for land purchases for the airport, part of $15,000,000 in revenue bonds for the project which have already been approved. .. Although today's statement by Cole-l man. may not mark the em of the long dispute over th.e St .. Louis a;.ea.'s f·u.ture. airport facilities; most of tho~ involved in the probl•m agree that atleast it marks the beginning of the final sUge. Illntil nnw. 'the· nrooonents of the poli,tan Are.i'A.Jry~i-t.:.A:uih'"o~i;' ;r" . ·... Federal funds for airport construction normally amolint .to about 50 per cent of · the total, but may be substantially ~ore. · Jllinois bas allocated $4,200,000 m its current budget for land purchases for the airport part of $15,000,000 In revenue bonds f~r the project which have already been approved. /. · · 'Although today's statement by Cole-l man may not mark the end of the long dispute over the St. Louis area '.s future , airport facilities, most of those mvolved. in the' problem agree that at least It I', marks the beginning of the final st~tge. Until now, the proponents of ·~he i ! I Columbia'Waterloo project and those who favored major im.provement"ll,f _ J, -Lambert· FieldJtave spent thousands of .. dollars for consultants' studies that , buttressed their. respective positions. There have been hundreds of public meetings and hearings, many of them necessary to meet federal requirements Qomparison Of Airport Plans .for environmental and other .reports Lambert• regardless of which project eventually Lambert Uts• Columbia· Waterloo•• - (present) (Parsons Mast. Plan) Columbia-Waterloo•• became a reality. · ~ · . ...- (original jlrop.) (alternate lo- · Senators,· Representatives and other Ru~ways 4 rest. prop. · political figur~s at the state and local A!Fport area (in acres) 3 3 2500 2500 2 levels .have become involved, and con­ Annual enplaned passengers 18,fii0 18,650. 3,500,000 11,300,000 struction unions on both sides of the Passenger Terminal Area 50,000,000 14,000,000 river have. entered the controvers:ro. (IIi sq. ft.) 344,000 930,000 The.orie thing that all P.arties agree on Ca6go Terminal area 2,100,000 . 682,000 iS" that the area must have vastly ·m sq. ft.) 120,000 improved air terminal facilities. · . N<f.':'of aircraft gates 120,000 ns,ooo 40 54 168,000 . There was little .Immediate reaCtion General aviation annual 62 54 from Missouri interests when St. Louis operations 130,000 Mayor Alfonso J. Cervantes and Illinois . Automobile parking 100,000 unrestricted 5900 18,300 unrestricted Gov .. Richard B. Ogilvie announced Peak hol!r' capacity (in 20,000 6900 jointly more than five years ago that a 6Perations per hour) 55 90 new major airport would be bu1lt m the Total annual operations 200 107 Columbia-Waterloo area. (takeoffs and landings) 250,000 380,000 But once the Missouri opposition or­ Es(hnated costs 800,000 454,000 ganized, months later, the two sides $145,000,000 $354,000,000 dollars) $292,700,000 Distance from downtown (1974 (!971 dollars) See AIRPORT, Pa~e 5 . (1976 dollars) ~ip miles) 16 16 • gures supplied by St. Louis Airport Authority. 19 19 ..Figures supplied by St. Louis Metropolitan Area Airport Authonty l .irport UROM PAGE ONE qur~kly polarized. The Missouri Legisia­ tu~. with; a relative!~ small appropri~­ Co. of Los Angeles, consultants on the $350,000,000 when it was proposed, also tioa, set' up the M1ssoun-St. Lou1s proposed Lambert expansion, conceded without road cqsts, and this probably Ml[fropolitan Airport Authority to try to that a basic weakness of Lambert is the has increased to $500,000,000 by now block the Iilinois project. lack of sufficient acreage to" instal! because of inflation. Missouri interests Meanwhile, Illinois spent about $2,870,- paraliel runways for operations in in:___ PliiJ!Ie_cost at $1,000,000,000 or more. ooq;pn its operations and st11dies. strument weather, and the inability to The St. Louis Metropolitan Area Alf­ get enough land to build such runways. pojj Authority, formed by Iliinois s.tat­ The study concluded, however, that N()minations Backed , ute• has gone ahead With the detailed the field c:ouid serve area needs ade­ ad:anc'e work necessary to get federal quately for many years by staggering . WASHINGTON, Sept. I (UP!)- The Senate Foreigo Relations Committee has approval for a new airport. Its propo­ the use of parallel runways too close for nents contend that the Missouri group ~imultaneous operations, u)ilizing one unanimously approved the nomination of veteran Departm~nt of State trouble­ w~id need sever.ai years to catch up fortakeoffs and the other for landings. shooter Robert J. McCloskey as ambas­ an~: that Missouri failed even to come up Over-all improvements needed for with more than generalized areas as Lambert, not including roads leading to sador to Holland. Approved also yester­ suitable for a new airport. and from it, were estimated by Parson&' day, subject to confirmation by the full Senate, was the nomination ·Of William (jJ executive of Ralph M. Parsons at about $145,000,000. The cost of the -~he Il!inois airport was put at $300,000,000 to J. Bradford as ambassador to the .. •' .. Republic of Ch~d. On Today's Editorial Page For A New Airport &U1orial And ear.-. Vulnerable FBI Diredor Edbnrial FINAL StLOUIS IPOS1-DISPATCH Latest Stock* Prices VOL.98 N0.243 Pages 68 and 78 THURSDAY, SEPti;MBER 2, 1976 ·Nw· WhatBy GERALD M. BOYD Happens To BuSit;te$S/f Airport Moves? · And SALLY mRAN around Lambert Field. for a St. Louis airport. Lambert Field, 01 tbe Post·Dispatch Staff But other officials, including some which is about 16 miles northwest of llk~ly to '·be hurt by the transfer. said.. An East Side airport could cost Louis and stymie development in St. from the East Side, point out that the downtown St. Louis, would be retainell Assistance would be provided where about 1000 of those jobs, tt Predicted. Although no dollar signs are being decision might revitalize downtown St. as a general aviation airport to serve possible, he said. · Louis. County, tagged on the economic impact of the Louis and East St. Louis. light aircraft.· Coleman conceded that hotels and Although Coleman downplay~d the "I can appreciate the concern some go-ahead for the Columbia· Waterloo air- loss of jobs, several hotel operators Coleman said in the decision that he motels around Lambert Field could be people have about the demise of existing 1I port, some businessmen and officials on The decision by Secretary of Trans­ hurt. He cited a study provided by the: expressed concern in interviews yester­ airport hotels," said Noel Powers, man­ nortation William T. Coleman Jr. yester­ had instructed the Federal Aviation day. the Missouri side of the river are Administration to co-operate with Lam­ Missouri-St. Louis Metropolitan Airport ager of the downtown Bel-Air Hilton day approved an 18,65().acre tract about "I can't see how we could (stay open) already seeing red ink for businesses bert authorities and local governmental Authority stating that five airport mo­ Hotel.