Time for the Michigan Legislature to Act on Aerotropolis

Four years ago, the Detroit Region Aerotropolis plan was first unveiled to Michigan policymakers at the Mackinac Policy Conference. Wayne County, along with our partner governments, business, and labor leaders know that this regional economic development initiative will create tens of thousands of new high wage jobs, attract hundreds of millions of dollars in new investment, and bring a sustainable portfolio of economic diversity to Michigan.

Realizing that our collective voice would be louder if we worked together, we first formed a public-private Task Force to study the Aerotropolis, and then our partners formed the Aerotropolis Development Corporation (ADC). The ADC met formally for the first time at the beginning of March of this year, appointing Deputy Wayne County CEO Azzam Elder as Executive Committee Chair, Washtenaw Administrator Robert Guenzel as Vice-Chair, Doug Rothwell of Business Leaders for Michigan as Treasurer, and Tim Keyes, Economic Development Director in Romulus as Secretary. We also retained Marsha Ennis, formerly of DTE Energy, as the ADC's Chief Administrative Officer.

Our partners have always seen the State of Michigan as playing a central role in the success of the Aerotropolis. Along with other business and labor leaders and the Wayne County Airport Authority, we have worked tirelessly since 2006 with State legislators and agencies to move the Detroit Region Aerotropolis forward. We have proposed legislation twice that would simply expand on existing Michigan economic development laws and incentives.

While our original legislation focused on development surrounding major airports, we soon learned there was a strong desire to promote major economic assets throughout the State. We, therefore, worked with stakeholders to reintroduce modified bills last fall. As proposed, the Next Michigan Development Act legislation benefits Grand Rapids, Detroit, Lansing, Oakland County, and other parts of Michigan. The Aerotropolis and this legislation have the support of counties and local governments across the state. We also have the support of business and labor leaders and citizens who are looking for answers to our economic crisis. The bills were overwhelmingly passed by the Michigan House in December 2009, and now await Senate approval.

In the meantime, other cities in the Midwest—Cleveland, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Columbus, and even Windsor, Ontario—are moving forward with plans to transform their airports into hubs of air commerce. These cities, with the support of their state and provincial governments, are doing what it takes to win coveted economic activity and the jobs that come along with new business development. Good ideas and opportunities like this should not take years to act on in Michigan. It is time for Michigan's legislative leaders to respond to the needs of our citizens and businesses, move this legislation forward, and give our state the competitive edge it sorely needs.

The Detroit Region Aerotropolis partners implore the Michigan Senate to act quickly on the Next Michigan Development Act legislation so that it reaches the Governor's desk by Memorial Day. Now is the time to aggressively attract businesses, create jobs, and foster a stronger and sustainable business environment within Michigan. Four years is simply too long to wait as other regions move ahead of us. Our leadership in Lansing must act with the sense of urgency that the citizens of this great state deserve.

We need your support for the Next Michigan Development Act and the Detroit Region Aerotropolis. Please take a moment to sign your name to this letter and send it to your State Senator. A full list of Senators can be found here.

For more information on the Next Michigan Development Act and the Aerotropolis project, please visit the Detroit Region Aerotropolis website or email us.

Robert A. Ficano is Wayne County's Chief Executive.

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