May 8, 2024
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STUDY: Completing O’Hare Modernization Could Grow Economy Nearly $20 Billion and Create Almost 100K Jobs
Efforts to Scale Back Project Could Reduce Long-Term Economic Benefits to Chicago Metro Region and Illinois
As the City of Chicago and partner airlines negotiate over the future of the O’Hare 21 modernization program, a new report by the nonpartisan Illinois Economic Policy Institute (ILEPI) shows that proceeding as planned would create nearly 100,000 jobs by 2033 (or almost 10,000 jobs per year) and generate more than $2 in economic return for every dollar invested. Additionally, the report finds that once completed, the program would boost revenues at Chicago O’Hare International Airport by $280 million per year, grow the Chicago metropolitan economy by more than $500 million annually, and increase state and local tax collections by more than $60 million per year.