Airport-Centric Economic Development

The Western Peak team brings unique experience with economic development that is specifically focused on leveraging the attributes of an airport to attract and retain employers, additional air service and passengers for the local economy while also providing new market and export opportunities for the region’s local businesses. Our related services include the creation of proactive airport-centric economic development strategies and marketing plans. Western Peak also helps to implement and execute these plans with direct accountability for results.

Clients in this arena typically include the following entities, sometimes in combination:

Airports and their ownership entities (e.g., authorities, cities and counties),
Economic Development Agencies, including those specialized agencies, districts or authorities charged with creating marketing plans for the “aerotropolis” area surrounding the airport, and
Real Estate Developers and large airport-adjacent landowners.

Airport-Centric vs. Traditional Economic Development

Western Peak principals have been successful in winning market-driven site selection and build-to-suit competitions that are the foundation of traditional economic development, together with retention of current employers. Airport-centric economic development builds on this traditional foundation and adds many elements tailored to the attributes of each specific airport and its region as depicted in the comparison table.

Related “Airport City” and “Aerotropolis” Expertise, this tailored airport-centric approach to economic development dramatically expands the potential for attracting new employers, air service, business and passengers for airports and cities of all sizes. Western Peak’s expertise in airport-centric economic development overlaps and is complemented by our related experience and service offerings involving airports, commercial real estate and marketing.

Our airport-centric economic development assignments also draw on Western Peak’s experience with the evolving real-world applications of “Airport City” and “Aerotropolis” theory as established by the leading strategists we have worked with. These include Dr. John Kasarda, President of Aerotropolis Business Concepts, and Chris LeTourneur, President of MXD Development Strategists. Kasarda’s airport city/aerotropolis model is shown at right.

This tailored airport-centric approach to economic development dramatically expands the potential for attracting new employers, air service, business and passengers for airports and cities of all sizes.

Our projects portfolio below highlights some of Western Peak’s airport-centric economic development experience including our work with airports, developers and economic development entities. Our team is well-qualified to help our clients fully leverage one of their community’s greatest assets, and very often its biggest economic driver, the airport. See the summary of our related Airport City & Aerotropolis expertise.

Airport-Centric Economic Development Experience

Our Western Peak team brings extensive hands-on experience on all sides of airport-centric economic development, including related roles working with the City of Denver, the Chicago Metropolitan Mayors Caucus Airport Capacity Committee, the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation, Denver International Airport (DEN), the City of Naperville, Il, and various other communities and airports. Our expertise in this exciting arena includes:

Western Peak Principal David Fiore has held elected and appointed positions intimately involved with economic development. As Councilman of the City of Naperville, Illinois, he was also on the City’s economic development team and very involved in successful effort to attract two new office headquarters plus numerous retail stores, shopping centers, hotel/hospitality companies and other businesses. In this role, he also participated in the regional planning efforts pertaining to the Chicago area’s planned third commercial airport.While managing the commercial development program at DEN (the largest airport commercial development program in the U.S.), Western Peak Principal Dan Poremba led a wide variety of airport-related economic development initiatives. This included his direction of hotly-contested airport-related economic development wins involving United Airlines and Panasonic shown right.

Economic Development Project Experience

Western Peak’s Airport-Centric Economic Development services overlap and are supported by our other specialties, including Airport Services & Properties, Airport Commercial Real Estate, Commercial Development and Real Estate Services, Airport City & Aerotropolis Expertise, Airport and Real Estate Marketing and other special services. Click on the buttons below to learn more.

Airport Services & Properties Airport Commercial Real Estate Commercial Development & Real Estate Services Airport City | Aerotropolis Airport & Real Estate Marketing Special Services