City officials present concepts to redevelop Burke Lakefront Airport, say proposals could raise on‑site tax revenue

At a Cleveland City Council Transportation & Mobility Committee meeting, city officials and representatives of the North Coast Waterfront Development Corporation outlined conceptual plans for redeveloping Burke Lakefront Airport and said the preferred, recreation‑focused options would increase public access and could generate several times the airport’s current direct tax revenue.

Deputy Chief of Staff Jessica Trevissano told the committee the conceptual studies are “meant to provide ... a clear fact‑based understanding of the legal, financial, operational, and market realities associated with Burke Lakefront Airport,” and emphasized they are not master plans or binding proposals. The administration presented two hypothetical ‘‘fit’’ concepts that trade off mixes of privately financed uses — including a marina and boardwalk, an RV resort, competitive youth‑sports facilities, a large public park or an alternative 18‑hole public golf course, trails and a small vertiport — across roughly 450 acres of city‑controlled lakefront.

The administration’s economic analysis for the two conceptual fits restricted calculations to activity on the Burke site itself: it reported a one‑time economic impact in the $600–$800 million range, roughly $2.5 million in direct annual tax revenue on site (about five times the airport’s current direct tax receipts), an estimated 3,000 construction jobs and roughly 170 permanent full‑time jobs to operate…