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Vote Fails to Save Historic Berlin Airport
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"Tempelhof belongs to Berlin; it's that simple," said Beate Tesmer, 45, who owns a flower shop less than a half-mile from the airfield. She said she voted in favor of the referendum measure and resented the push to close the site.
"Tempelhof is a part of our life here," she added. "The majority of the Berliners want to keep the airport. There's no question about that."
Supporters of Tempelhof collected 170,000 signatures on petitions to force the referendum, the first ever in Berlin.
Residents of the formerly communist eastern half of the city, however, were much less enthusiastic, according to election returns. Turnout in some eastern districts was less than half that in their western counterparts, results showed.
Although Tempelhof is now scheduled to see its last takeoff and landing in October, city officials aren't sure what they will do with the site.
The giant air terminal -- still the third-largest building in Europe -- is covered by historic preservation laws and cannot be torn down. Some lawmakers have suggested renovating it into a museum or art gallery, and turning the runways into a park.
Special correspondent Shannon Smiley contributed to this report.
