Cleveland.com
19 May 2026
A fight that lasted a quarter century involving demolished neighborhoods, broken promises and an airport runway that was never build is over.
In 2001, Cleveland and Brook Park struck an agreement tied to an ambitious plan to expand Cleveland Hopkins International Airport with a third runway. To make room, Cleveland bought and demolished more than 250 properties in Brook Park — entire stretches of residential neighborhood were wiped out. Then the runway project was quietly abandoned, leaving Brook Park with blocks of empty land and decades of simmering resentment.
In 2017, Brook Park sued, demanding Cleveland complete the home buyout program it had promised and then walked away from.
Now, both cities have decided to stop spending taxpayer money in court...
