The Milwaukee region should improve its transportation connections, consider a new air cargo facility near General Mitchell International Airport and work together as a region to take advantage of economic development potential near the airport, according to a new study presented Tuesday.
Milwaukee Aerotropolis Corp., a public-private partnership, held a presentation and press conference Tuesday about how to create an “aerotropolis” around the airport that will help attract businesses, jobs and investment to the south side of Milwaukee and the surrounding suburbs. The corporation is a joint effort of the Airport Gateway Business Association, eight municipalities surrounding the airport, Milwaukee County and the state.
The group hired John Kasarda, a professor at the University of North Carolina who created the aerotropolis concept, to create a “strategic roadmap” for Milwaukee. At the presentation Tuesday, he said airports are the new economic driver following ports, rail and highways in previous times. As globalization takes over the economy, companies prioritize speed above all else, making the airport crucial to many industries. He described air travel as the “physical Internet” because it brings people together from all over the world.
Between 2010 and 2030, commercial air traffic will more than double and cargo traffic will triple, he said, providing great opportunity for economic development.
Kasarda suggested several ways the region can take advantage of the airport to create a business hub. Mitchell already is being seen as a third airport for Chicago, a phenomenon that will only increase as air travel grows. It is near the Port of Milwaukee, Amtrak and the Interstate, but the region needs to strengthen those connections to promote a seamless and flexible flow of people and cargo, he said.
Other suggestions included:
- Considering a new, state-of-the-art cargo facility on the airport grounds;
- Assessing land availability and development costs near the airport and contacting businesses to see what kind of demand there is for locations near the airport;
- Taking a regional approach to development around the airport, getting input from the private sector, urban planners and regional planners;
- Establishing guidelines for development around the airport to make sure it’s aesthetically pleasing and environmentally sustainable;
- Separating logistics and cargo operations from business and leisure travelers at the airport.
The region already has established an organizational structure through the Milwaukee Aerotropolis Corp., which includes representatives from Milwaukee, South Milwaukee, Oak Creek, Franklin, Cudahy, St. Francis, Greenfield and Greendale. The next step for the organization is to conduct research on logistics and supply-chain needs in the area, call on businesses to see what they’re looking for and continue the marketing and branding effort, said Tom Rave, executive director of the Airport Gateway Business Association.
The organization also has to figure out its funding mechanism, he said. So far, it has been funded by Airport Gateway Business Improvement District 40 and contributions from Oak Creek, Greenfield and Greendale. It has applied for status as a 501(c)3 in order to attract grants from area foundations.
It also is hoping for government grants. A bill at the U.S. House of Representatives, co-sponsored by U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore of Milwaukee, proposes issuing grants to aerotropolis organizations for eligible projects, Rave said.