Local News in Brief : John Wayne Airport : Plans Nearly Done on Monorail to Office Park

Formal plans for a privately built monorail linking the airport to a nearby office complex should be ready for study by the end of next week, airport officials said.

McDonnell Douglas Realty Co., which wants to build a $3-million, half-mile rail system from its Douglas Plaza business park across MacArthur Boulevard to the airport’s new terminal, will submit a written proposal on the plan by next week, airport spokesman Alan Murphy said after a meeting with company officials Thursday.

The key issues remaining are an economic study to assess the impact to the airport of a monorail linking it to the business park’s restaurants and shops, Murphy said. Airport officials want to be sure that their shops do not lose customers, which could affect interest rates on airport bonds used to build the new $300-million terminal and parking area, Murphy said.

The other concern is a study of the monorail’s environmental impact on the area, Murphy said.

The proposal and the two studies will be forwarded to the Airport Commission for its Oct. 19 meeting, Murphy said. The plan then must be approved by the county Board of Supervisors and the city of Irvine.