The creation of a Detroit region aerotropolis has moved a step closer after legislation was passed giving companies a package of incentives to move to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County and Willow Run airports.
The Next Michigan Development Act (NMDA), passed by state senators last week after four years of negoitiation, gives companies moving to one of 12 'renaissance zones' of 60,000 acres around the two airports a 50% property tax abatement on real and personal property for industrial activity for up to 12 years.
Although the billl still needs to be signed into law by Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm, Robert A Ficano, Wayne County Executive, told Global Airport Cities that support for the aerotropolis concept is now growing across the state.
"The aerotropolis is really starting to come together, the concept is now recognised and it is being utilised as a way of bringing business in, you can see it because now people's eyes don't glaze over, it is clear to the business community and the community in general its beginning to be recognised and engrained in the business culture."
A body is already in place to implement the NMDA incentive scheme straight away in the form of the Aerotropolis Development Corp, a not-for-profit organisation including Wayne and Washtenaw counties and the cities of Romulus, Taylor, Belleville, Ypsilanti, Ypsilanti Township, Huron Township and Van Buren Townshi, which came into existence last year.
The Detroit Aerotropolis project envisages Detroit Metro and Willow Run airports becoming the centre of a 60,000 acre airport city supporting Detroit's traditional manufacturing sector, such as Chrysler and General Eletric (GE), its cargo and logistics operations and new 'green' technology companies such as those specalising in nanotechnology, energy supply and time critical medical supplies.
Ficano revealed that talks were taking place with several US companies interested in building a dedicated rail link to Will Run Airport, a scheme which could provide a new link to downtown Detroit, there was also good news from companies with operations near the two airports.
"We have been fortunate, GE has started a development and research centre where it began with 11,000 engineers and this is going up to 14,000. Crysler, which assembles batteries within the aerotropolis site has announced a 1,000 new engineering jobs last week," he said.
By Oliver Clark
