Buttonville Airport will continue operating until at least the spring of 2023 as its owners tackle the daunting tasks involved with rezoning it for development. The Sifton family has owned the airport for decades and in 2011 partnered with developer Cadillac Fairview to create a mix of commercial and residential development on the property. But the wheels move slowly at City Hall for projects of the scope proposed by the partners and they issued a news release on Friday saying it will take at least five years to sort it all out.

“Due to significant delays in reaching an appropriate rezoning, CF, Armadale and Torontair have extended the timeline for airport operations to continue for up to five years, into spring 2023,” the companies said. “The outlook for extensions beyond this date will be dictated by progress on approvals.” Many businesses have already left Buttonville in anticipation of its closure but the extension will be welcomed by the many private aircraft owners who keep their aircraft there.