AIRPORT CITY - The Future of the Rock Road

(From the April 2011 Edition)

By Mike Hofmeister

Around the world, major airports serving as regional multi-modal surface-transportation nodes are shaping the urban environment. They attract businesses that trade goods and services on an international stage. They are becoming major commercial hubs for the cities that they serve. Many “airport cities” are rivaling their downtown counterparts as a core of economic development.

Airports represent the latest stage in transportation infrastructure that has fueled the growth of the United States: The first stage was the wooden ship, sailing across the Atlantic from Europe; the second stage included canoes, steam-driven paddle wheelers, and now barges, traveling up and down our inland rivers and waterways; the third stage, ushered in by the railroads, cut coast-to-coast travel from six months to six days; the fourth stage consisted of roads and interstate highways connecting every corner of the country, making nearly every city and town accessible by car or truck. Dinah Shore asked us to “See the U.S.A. in your Chevrolet.”

The 21^st Century is marked by the rise of air transport. About 54 percent of U.S. exports move by air, up from 42 percent in 1990. High-tech companies have a 50% higher demand for air transportation than older manufacturing industries. Why? Goods are being purchased from everywhere in the world and delivered to everywhere in the world ... and it has to be there overnight. Jumbo, high-speed jets make this possible, and airports that can accommodate these jets rise in importance.

Airport cities include such mixed uses as office, retail, hotel, and entertainment facilities. Residential and recreational uses are being located around these airports. The new name, as given by John D. Kasarda, director of The Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise in Chapel Hill, N.C., for this airport city is aerotropolis.

Many of the world’s newest airports and subsequent aerotropoli are built on huge tracts of land, often miles from the central cities. They are built where enough land is available for the airport and the businesses that support air travel and cargo. These locations require that infrastructure be brought to them. Older airports, such as Chicago O’Hare, are running out of room to expand. Chicago may have to build a third airport south of the city.

The Rock Road Corridor has an airport capable of being the center of an aerotropolis. Lambert International Airport has a history and pedigree equal to any airport in the nation. In the late 1990s, Lambert was ranked the eighth busiest airport in the U.S. And with the construction of W1W, Lambert now offers four runways ranging from 7,500 feet in length to over 11,000 feet. Lambert is capable of simultaneous runway use, even during bad weather.

Infrastructure? The MetroLink light rail system terminates at Lambert, with a station at both terminals, and five major highways – I-70, I-170, I-270, SR-370, and U.S. 61/67 - border the airport, as do numerous rail lines.

According to Mr. Kasarda, “Some of the businesses locating next to airports are companies specializing in freight forwarding and third-party logistics companies; electronic commerce fulfillment centers; product assembly companies; firms selling perishable items; high-technology industries; and regional headquarters offices.”

It takes lots of land to accommodate the needs of these industries.

We have land ... lots of land. In addition to the numerous existing business parks around Lambert, there are nearly 1,000 acres of land that is newly developed or currently under development adjoining the airport:  North Park, with 550 acres and new headquarters for Express Scripts; Hazelwood Logistics Center, with 151 acres; Lambert Point Business Center; Lindbergh Distribution Center; and on the site of the former Ford Manufacturing Plant, Aviator Business Park, with 155 acres.

With the passage of state legislation this past December, the Detroit Region Aerotropolis Development Corporation (ADC) is now ready to be the next airport city.

Additionally, aerotropoli are either being built or planned in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX; Ontario, CA; Paris; Campinas, Brazil; Seoul, Korea; and Hong Kong.

Are we ready to join this list?

An airport must have business to sustain its existence. Lambert authorities are continuing to have discussions with major passenger carriers about the prospect of St. Louis becoming one of their hubs. Southwest Airlines is expanding its presence.

The Chinese government recently designated China Eastern (and its freight arm - China Cargo Airlines), one of the country’s three major state-controlled carriers, to negotiate for Lambert to become an international cargo hub. This deal will start the process of building the import/export business for the hub to support. Airport officials are also in talks with South American carriers.

The emergence of an aerotropolis spurs urban growth in the areas surrounding the airport. Along with the businesses tied directly to air cargo, other land uses oriented around airports include office, retail, commercial, hotel, restaurant, and entertainment venues; parks; golf courses; and open space; as well as a variety of residential uses. The concentration of these uses would be in The Town Centre.

Northwest Plaza would be The Town Centre. Only minutes from the main terminal, Northwest Plaza, formerly a world-class shopping mall, is 120 acres of prime re-developable property. At the time the mall opened, it was the largest mall in the world. Today, Northwest Plaza is primarily shuttered, waiting for this opportunity. A new thoroughfare could be built, offering direct access to Lambert, as well as extending MetroLink. This would be the first step toward an eventual expansion into St. Charles County, via Westport Plaza.

Northwest Plaza would be re-energized as a vibrant community, surpassing even its previous importance to the Rock Road Corridor. It would again become a destination, with access to the world.

Of course, there is always resistance to progress. However, by virtue of having survived the recent past, the Rock Road Corridor has already conquered the greatest resistance to aerotropolis development - community residents who may oppose a new runway. Been there, done that!

With the recent introduction of an “Aerotropolis Tax Credit” in the Missouri Senate, the state is taking steps to make this a reality and make St. Louis one of the next airport cities.

  

Ladies and gentlemen, we are cleared for takeoff!

Editor’s note:  The “Aerotropolis” bill mentioned in the above article, originally called for $360 million in tax incentives to build and improve international cargo handling facilities in the St. Louis area.  The bill was developed primarily by a private/public entity called “The China Hub Commission,” that was spearheaded by local developer, Paul McKee.  Although a special session of the Missouri Legislature was called in late summer of 2011, to debate this bill and others, and lasted for 50 days, legislators were unable to reach a compromise and the bill was first gutted to $60 million and finally died a slow death in Jefferson City. 
 

It is our hope that the next effort to capitalize on our airport’s central location, will not focus merely on international cargo shipments, but also on increasing passenger traffic by regaining hub status with at least one major airline.  It should also be noted that the municipalities on the southern boundary of Lambert - St. Louis International Airport, have traditionally provided the vast majority of business and hospitality services for Lambert, but were not represented on The China Hub Commission. 

Hopefully, the next time a plan for an "aerotropolis" is created, it will be more inclusive and will more directly benefit the culture and population of the areas surrounding Lambert - St. Louis International Airport.