With land dispute over, O'Hare expansion can continue - WREX.com – Rockford’s News Leader

With land dispute over, O'Hare expansion can continue

A five year legal battle over a tract of land that includes a historic cemetery has ended.

The city of Chicago will pay $1.3 million to a church for the plot of land that officials wanted to use for an expansion of O'Hare International Airport.

The plot contains the St. Johannes Cemetery, which was started in 1849 by German pioneers. The land was acquired by the city in 2010 from the St. John United Church of Christ through an eminent domain lawsuit, and the cemetery's approximately 1,500 bodies were buried elsewhere.

However, the two sides continued to fight over compensation. Attorney Richard Friedman, who represented the city, says the judge was able to get the sides to come to the agreement without going to trial.