A decades-long political and community battle over Chicago’s proposed third airport will be revisited this weekend at the Chicago History Museum. Holding Pattern, a 56-minute documentary chronicling the conflict surrounding the proposed south suburban Chicago airport, will screen for free Saturday, June 13, from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the museum’s McCormick Theater, located at 1601 N. Clark St. in Chicago.
The proposed third airport has been one of the longest-running and most contentious infrastructure debates in Illinois. Since 1985, plans for a major airport in Chicago’s far south suburbs have moved in and out of political focus, spanning the administrations of seven Illinois governors and as many Chicago mayors.
According to the film, the airport’s full footprint would be larger in land area than Manhattan Island. Though never built, the project has remained a political football for decades, drawing support from those who argue it could bring economic growth and fierce opposition from residents and landowners concerned about displacement, eminent domain, and the destruction of communities.
Holding Pattern frames the ongoing battle through four central voices: anti-airport activists George Ochsenfeld and Judy Ogalla, and airport proponents Delmarie Cobb and former Park Forest mayor John Ostenburg. Watch the trailer below:
Filmed over more than 20 years, the documentary takes an intimate look at how the proposed airport has shaped the lives of Ochsenfeld and Ogalla, following their evolution from concerned citizens to activists and political figures. The film also explores the personal relationships and community ties affected by the long-running fight.
Cobb and Ostenburg, who have supported the airport for decades, address the political complexity of the proposal and explain why they believe eminent domain — the government’s power to seize private land for public use — could be justified if the project ultimately creates broader economic opportunity.
The result is both a local political chronicle and a portrait of civic conflict, examining how one unrealized infrastructure project has shaped lives, communities, and careers across generations.
The screening will be followed by a panel discussion featuring filmmakers Tom Desch and Brian Kallies, executive producer John Davies, airport proponent and longtime political strategist and analyst Delmarie Cobb, and anti-airport activist and Will County Board official Judy Ogalla. Former Fox News Chicago reporter Mike Flannery will moderate the conversation.
Event details:
Holding Pattern
Saturday, June 13, 2026
12:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
McCormick Theater
Chicago History Museum
1601 N. Clark St.
Chicago, IL 60614
Admission is free, but an RSVP is required.
