EDGE Spotlight: Aerotropolis and the Next Michigan Economy

On Oct. 21, Wayne County EDGE along with Crain's Detroit Business held an event at the Courtyard by Marriott in Downtown Detroit titled "Learn About Opportunities in the Detroit Region Aerotropolis." The event was attended by more than 125 people from the business community, government, and academia. Moderated by Carol Cain of the Detroit Free Press and co-sponsored by the Detroit Electrical Workers Union and the National Electrical Contractors Association, the event gave the audience a chance to learn about the Aerotropolis from a diverse set of stakeholders involved with the project.

After a brief welcome by Carol Cain and a video showing the benefits of the Aerotropolis, Wayne County Executive Robert A. Ficano provided the opening remarks on why the region is in a position to take advantage of our airports to drive economic growth. Citing the success of other airport cities including Dubai, Amsterdam, and Louisville, he emphasized that we must create a stronger environment for business if the Aerotropolis is to compete with other regions. He also noted that unlike Chicago's O'Hare airport and other major landlocked airports in the United States, Detroit Metro and Willow Run airports have available land around them that is ripe for development.

Ficano's introduction was followed by a panel with John Rakolta, CEO of Walbridge, a construction company based in Detroit, and Jim Colson, founder of Growing Economies International and primary author of the Aerotropolis Business Attraction Study, commissioned by Detroit Renaissance (now known as Business Leaders for Michigan)  in 2008. Rakolta's remarks were dominated by an impassioned plea to government leaders in Lansing to overcome their political differences and help create a stronger environment for business enterprise.

Jim Colson, an expert in site selection who works directly with companies wishing to expand, confirmed the potential of the Aerotropolis to be a prime location for companies in growing sectors that need to have their products and services readily accessible to the global market. Colson also stressed the importance of financial incentives in business attraction, explaining that such incentives were assumed in the site selection process when dealing with large companies. While other factors including a talented labor pool and cooperative labor relations were also very important, without real monetary incentives, the Aerotropolis region would be at a disadvantage in attracting business.

The second panel of speakers included Jeff Aronoff of Miller Canfield whose firm played a central role in crafting the Next Michigan Development Act (NMDA) legislation currently under consideration in the Michigan House of Representatives. The Act, which amends several existing economic development statutes, would allow entities created through the Urban Cooperation Act to utilize incentives to redevelop a unique or distressed asset within their jurisdiction. Wayne County Deputy CEO Azzam Elder called upon the audience to show their support for the NMDA legislation and the Aerotropolis by contacting their state legislators directly, and by enrolling their colleagues and partners in the effort to support the legislation.

The panel also included Mike Finney of Ann Arbor Spark and Michele Hodges of the Troy Chamber of Commerce, both of whom provided a unique regional perspective on the importance of the Aerotropolis project. Mike Finney spoke of the “open source” model for economic development whereby the region's assets could build upon each other to create a stronger economy. He cited the fact that companies in Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County drew talent from several surrounding counties, and that the Aerotropolis could act in the same way in connecting the human and physical capital of Southeast Michigan. Michele Hodges spoke of the Troy Chamber's resolution of support for the Aerotropolis project, explaining that businesses in Troy and Oakland County's bond rating stood to benefit from a better economy in Wayne County and the rest of the Metro Detroit region.

Finally, Mayor Cameron Priebe of Taylor and Wayne County EDGE's Chief Development Officer, Turkia Awada Mullin, spoke of the direct benefits to the region of the Aerotropolis project.  They stressed the importance of customer service when working with existing and potential business investors, as well as the need to work quickly and efficiently in working with potential companies from out of state. They spoke of the many offerings of the Aerotropolis including the established infrastructure surrounding the airport as well as the talent being produced by the region's colleges and universities.

Every panelist spoke of the need to create jobs in order to keep families in Michigan, and the importance of working as a region and with the State of Michigan leaders to address our current economic challenges. Yet it was the plea to the audience to be engaged in the Aerotropolis project and the effort to support the Next Michigan Development Act (NMDA) legislation that resonated most with those in attendance. Deputy Wayne County CEO Azzam Elder made a promise to the audience to keep them informed about how they could support the Aerotropolis and asked that with their help, Wayne County government would help build a better economic future for citizens.

For more information on the Detroit Region Aerotropolis and the Next Michigan Development Act (NMDA) legislation, please contact us through the Aerotropolis web site or through the Wayne County EDGE web site.  

Geoff Young is an Executive Project Manager with the Wayne County Department of Communications.