The O’Hare expansion project which began in 2001 was estimated to cost $6.6 billion. The Tribune reports that cost grew by at least $1 billion in 2004 dollars and by the time the project is completed, will balloon to $15 billion. As Mayor Daley plans to issue $1 billion in bonds to help the financially floundering expansion, some city aldermen lead by Finance Committee Chariman Edward Burke (14th Ward) aren’t exactly pleased. more ›

Not sure if you noticed but it's been a pretty slooooooow news day around these parts, what with the holiday and all, so we're calling it a day and getting outside to dodge raindrops and throw a variety of meats on the grill while we still can. Winter will be here before we know it. But we'll be back at it, bright and early tomorrow morning. more ›

Crain's is reporting this morning that the federal government is about to make it rain at O'Hare with a new round of funding - $400 million - for the airport's expansion. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood will be on hand as will U.S. Dick Durbn, Gov. Quinn, and Mayor Daley, who bemoaned the lack of funding earlier this year. It's a major boost for the City in its ongoing fights over O'Hare expansion. Besides the Battle of Bensenville and the fight over the St. Johannes Cemetery relocation, the City has also faced off with airlines over the expansion project. Six major airlines have previously expressed their opposition to the expansion project and American and United Airlines protested a new landing fee meant to fund the project. And that's not even getting into the accused shenanigans surrounding contracts on the expansion. It's not yet known what the new round of cash will be used for but it's still a welcome influx for the City and Mayor Daley who's in full 'Git 'er done" mode on the expansion. more ›

After years of legal battles, the demolition of several hundred homes in suburban Bensenville is slated to start today to make way for a new runway at O'Hare. The village agreed last fall to end the fight in exchange for $16 million plus an additional $20 million more from the City of Chicago to insulate homes and schools from noise pollution caused by the planes flying in and out of O'Hare. But even as one part of the Bensenville battle is over, another - over St. Johannes Cemetery - is still ongoing. more ›

A Metra passenger train in Bensenville struck a car on Friday that apparently slid on ice into the train tracks. Bensenville Fire Battalion Chief Larry Karp said the car slid on ice around 7:30 p.m. on Friday and came to stop between two sets of tracks. A train coming into the station clipped the car, injuring three adults inside. Karp said that those three were taken to Elmhurst Memorial Hospital with minor injuries and two other people were checked at the scene. [Chicago Sun-Times] more ›

A DuPage County judge ruled on Friday that the city can go ahead and proceed with condemnation proceedings to acquire St. Johannes Cemetery, which currently stands in the way of the completion of a new runway. The cemetery was the last obstacle preventing the city's O'Hare expansion. more ›

The battle between Bensenville and the City of Chicago, due to the O'Hare expansion project, is over. The Tribune reports that under a new agreement, the demolition of houses could begin as early as December; the village agreed to end the fight in exchange for $16 million plus an additional $20 million more from the City of Chicago to insulate homes and schools from noise pollution caused by the planes flying in and out of O'Hare. The city will also hire consultants to assist in the demolition and will partner with the village to aid Bensenville in economic development. The village's long fight against O'Hare took a turn this spring when Frank Soto won election as village president; Soto called the agreement, "a victory for Bensenville." more ›

The suburb of Bensenville, long embroiled in a fight against O'Hare's expansion, recently relented, accepting the fate of hundreds of houses and other sites, such as St. John's United Church of Christ cemetery. And now as we await the demolition of these locations, one Chicagoist reader - Paul Petrowsky - made it over there to capture some of the scenes in this new ghost town. But if you get the urge to do the same, be careful. Check out Paul's full set here. more ›

• Michael Jackson's death has been ruled a homicide.
• It was a clout-y first day of the Fall 2009 term at the University of Illinois today.
• Bensenville's village president has conceded the fight against O'Hare expansion but is still expressing concern for effects on the city's maintenance.

This week, the city's attempt to expand O'Hare got another win as the FAA approved the city's request to spend $182 million in airline passenger ticket taxes on designs for the expansion. According to the Trib, the money will be used on, "...the design of two new runways, an extension to an existing runway and a planned western passenger terminal." The entire $15 billion project is still facing major hurdles, though, including a fight by the residents of Bensenville and the major airlines who don't see the spending in the current economy as justifiable. more ›

The group of community leaders in Bensenville fighting the O'Hare expansion has launched a new multimedia ad campaign, saying the plan will destroy the community without improving airport capacity. "We are not about 'Not In My Backyard.' We are about expanding the airport the right way," Bensenville Village President John Geils said at a news conference at Chicago City Hall. The city plans to spend $15 billion to modernize O'Hare by 2014 and has already acquired over 500 properties and a cemetery for a runway scheduled for 2011. more ›

The residents of Bensenville held a service at St. Johannes Cemetery on Sunday to honor those buried there as they prepare for the relocation of the cemetery due to the ongoing (and oft-delayed) O'Hare Expansion. The 159-year-old cemetery is slated to be relocated to make way for a new runway as part of the expansion. Around 300 people attended the ceremony during which several speakers had to pause due to noise from nearby planes. Joseph Karaganis, the attorney representing the church and cemetery, said, "At the heart of this controversy is the religious belief of the members of St. Johannes that the graves should not be disturbed until the Day of Resurrection." Approximately 1,300 people are buried at the cemetery. The U.S. Supreme Court rejected the church's appeal in May but the case is still being heard in the U.S. Court of Appeals (in Washington, D.C.) and the DuPage County Circuit Court. more ›

DuPage Circuit Judge Kenneth Popejoy, who last week ruled in favor of the City of Chicago in their plans to expand O'Hare, has delayed the date that demolition can begin by 30 days so attorneys for Bensenville will have an opportunity to appeal. While Popejoy stands by his decision last week, he says, "Bensenville deserves the chance to appeal." Any delay issued after September 10, according to Popejoy, "will be up to the appellate court." more ›

On Thursday, DuPage Circuit Judge Kenneth Popejoy ruled in favor of the city of Chicago, allowing them to demolish roughly 500 homes in the Bensenville suburb to make way for the proposed O'Hare runway expansion. Popejoy said, "The plaintiffs' experts at most testified that there may be an issue of concern...Tentative questions and concerns do not constitute actual harm." The demolition was put on hold a year ago when Popejoy ordered, "an environmental study to guard against the release of any hazardous materials during demolition" after attorneys for the village claimed that such a demolition would release toxins into the air. more ›

Three people were stabbed in Granddaddy's Deli on the 2300 block of West Taylor this afternoon. [WBBM] more ›

On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal by St. John's United Church of Christ in Bensenville in their case to prevent the relocation of their cemetery, home to 1,300 graves, to make way for a new runway as part of O'Hare Airport's $15 billion expansion plan. Even though O'Hare officials claim they will move forward with their plans to notify the families of grave occupants about the cemetery relocation, no official action can be taken until all litigation surrounding the proposed move has concluded. The church and the city of Bensenville are still fighting the move with separate cases in DuPage County Circuit Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington. more ›