Final
The DIA Partnership and Economic Development
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Votes:
Action Taken:
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10:35 AM --
The DIA Partnership and Economic Development, Ms. Julie Bender, DIA Partnership
Ms. Julie Bender, DIA Partnership, discussed the economic impact of airports. A copy of her presentation is provided as Attachment F. Passenger air traffic is expected to double by 2020. She commented that an area's accessibility is a significant factor for economic development. Firms are clustering near major airports because of the accessibility, speed, and agility that airports provide to new-economy global supply chains and the connectivity to customers nationally and worldwide. About 40 percent of the value of world trade is delivered by air. She discussed economic development projects surrounding airports in other cities. These projects include business parks, logistics parks and industrial estates, retail centers and wholesale merchandise marts, hotel, tourism, and entertainment centers, and large mixed-use residential developments. Clusters of airport-linked businesses form along major airport arteries up to 25 miles from the airport, with significant economic impact up to 60 miles away. The development around the Dallas/Fort Worth airport is the largest employment center in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. She stated that airports will drive 21st Century business location, job creation, and urban development as highways did in the 20th Century, railroads did in the 19th Century, and seaports did in the 18th Century.
Ms. Bender continued by describing the "aerotroplis" that is emerging around DIA. DIA is the fastest growing area of the entire Denver metro area and contributes $15 billion per year to the Denver metro area economy. Housing is 10 percent more affordable in the area compared to the rest of Denver. The transportation infrastructure around DIA, including highways and planned rail transit, is considered one of the best in the country. DIA is currently the fifth busiest airport in the country. She indicated that travelers to Denver are twice as likely to fly than to drive compared to other cities, so DIA is very important to the area's economy. Information on the economic impact of airports in Colorado and a DIA partnership brochure on the economic profile of the DIA area were distributed to the committee (Attachments G and H). Airports provide over 280,000 direct and indirect jobs in Colorado with $9.8 billion in wages.
Representative Borodkin discussed the importance of all airports in Colorado. Senator Evans discussed the Front Range Airport's multimodal development plan. He inquired about DIA's role in this plan. Ms. Bender indicated that all the entities involved with DIA and the Front Range airport were working close together to define each airport's niche. She explained that due to the expected significant increase in transportation needs, there is enough demand for both airports. She commented on the importance of coordination between the two airports. Senator Evans expressed his concern that DIA has been left out of Front Range airport's plan, especially regarding freight traffic.