Frequently Asked Questions

What is an Aerotropolis?

An Aerotropolis is an emerging type of urban form comprised of aviation-intensive businesses and those businesses that need to be readily connected to their customers. These businesses, and related enterprises, extend outward from a major airport. Aerotropoli have emerged across the globe in the 21st century as air transportation has become a vital component of business operations.

Where will the Detroit Region Aerotropolis be located?

The Detroit Region Aerotropolis is planned to encompass 60,000 acres of land in Wayne and Washtenaw Counties surrounding Detroit Metro and Willow Run airports. The local communities of Romulus, Taylor, Ypsilanti, Belleville, Huron Township, Ypsilanti Township, and Van Buren Township have partnered to advance the development of a an Aerotropolis in Southeast Michigan.

As development occurs over time, the aerotropolis could extend outward as far as 15 - 20 miles from the airport center, along Michigan’s major transportation corridors such as I-94, I-275, I-96, I-75, M-14, or US-23. This development would have far reaching benefits for the entire region and state by spurring economic activity east to Detroit, west to Ann Arbor, north to Oakland County and south to Monroe County.

What types of companies are typically attracted to an Aerotropolis?

Aerotropoli are powerful and successful economic development engines. They typically attract industries related to time-sensitive manufacturing, e-commerce fulfillment, telecommunications and logistics as well as offices for business people who travel frequently by air. Some even attract high value agricultural growers. Clusters of business parks, logistics parks, industrial parks, distribution centers, information technology complexes and wholesale merchandise marts typically locate around the airport and along the transportation corridors radiating from them. Major airports, like Detroit Metro, which can attract these businesses, can significantly grow employment and enhance the competitiveness of a region.

What strategic assets can the Detroit Region leverage?

As a result of Michigan’s strong automotive heritage, manufacturing infrastructure, and proximity to Canada, the Detroit region is already a global gateway for trade. Detroit and the surrounding southeast Michigan metro region has been a transportation hub for more than two hundred years: first via ship, then rail, then road and now air. The region is strategically positioned along the NAFTA corridor, endowed with robust rail capacity and a strong roadway system, linked to the Great Lakes and the oceans via the Port of Detroit, and its airports are among the best in the world.

In addition, the region has a large and extremely diverse population, labor force and skill base that can help support—and take advantage of—airport oriented development. The region has the highest concentration of engineers in the United States and is home to 80% of the world’s automotive research and development and several nationally renowned universities and medical institutions.

The anchors of the Detroit Region Aerotropolis are Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW) and Willow Run Airport (YIP). Located just seven miles apart, there are approximately 25,000 acres of developable land both within and outside the airport boundaries. DTW currently ranks as the 19th busiest airport in the world, serving over 36 million passengers annually. Willow Run is a reliever for DTW, and serves corporate and general aviation. With a combined total of 11 runways and no operational curfews, both airports have enormous capacity to increase the volume of passengers and cargo shipped to and from Detroit.

In short, Detroit is a big economy in a unique geographical region. The availability of large amounts of land near our world-class airport system makes the region an ideal place to develop a world-class airport city.

What is the potential economic impact of the Aerotropolis?

Jones Lang LaSalle completed an economic impact study as part of its comprehensive strategic development plan for the Detroit Region Aerotropolis. The analysis indicates that with the proper business attraction effort, the Detroit Region Aerotropolis has the potential to bring in 64,000 additional jobs to the region with wages of $3.8 billion per year and more than $10 billion of additional annual economic activity and production upon full build out of thirteen primary development sites covering approximately 5,000 acres after an estimated 25 years of construction. If this job potential is reached, the Aerotropolis would employ 20,000 more people than those who work in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina today.

The Aerotropolis is also projected to have a significant fiscal impact at the State, County and Local levels. Additional annual tax revenues are estimated at $30 million from the Michigan Business Tax and $67 million from the Michigan personal income tax. Property tax revenue is estimated at $74 million annually for municipal, county, local school district, state education tax fund, and community colleges.

In addition to the above on-going economic impacts after completion, there will be an upfront “one-time” economic impact from the construction of the Aerotropolis. These development activities are expected to generate economic activity of $173 million per year and additional jobs of nearly 1,500 with wages of $78 million per year over the 25-year construction period.

What other direct and indirect benefits will the Aerotropolis provide?

The Detroit Region Aerotropolis will be far-reaching. In addition to the economic impact identified above, the following are among the anticipated outcomes:

• A solution to the much publicized brain-drain in Michigan -- attractive and secure Michigan career opportunities will be created for the imaginative and productive talent who graduate from the State’s internationally recognized educational institutions and professional/trade schools.

• An education infrastructure that is enhanced through the training and continuing education required by these new economy businesses.

• A more diverse industry base that will stabilize the value of personal and commercial investment assets.

• Enhancement of Michigan’s export markets

• A greater draw of tourism to Detroit and other Michigan destinations

Will development in the Detroit Region Aerotropolis negatively impact communities such as Detroit?

No. According to Dr. John Kasarda, the economic impact of the Aerotropolis can extend out 15-20 miles from its airport center. Jobs created throughout the Aerotropolis will be available to residents throughout the southeast Michigan region. Detroit Metro Airport and its ancillary operations currently employ nearly 2,000 residents from the City of Detroit. This number could significantly grow with the creation of 64,000 Aerotropolis jobs.

Examples of the positive impacts of aerotropoli on their neighboring city centers can be found outside of our region. The UPS WorldPort operation in Louisville, for example, has brought new development to the downtown area and has drawn student employees from all over the State of Kentucky. Likewise, major development around the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport has only served to strengthen the viability of both city centers.

How will development within the Aerotropolis be managed?

The partnering entities have agreed upon a conceptual organizational structure that they believe is needed to make the Aerotropolis a reality. This metro-area organization encompasses all aspects necessary to provide one-stop shopping and attractive incentives to potential Aerotropolis business partners.

The proposed structure entails the creation of an Aerotropolis Development Corporation through an interlocal agreement among participating governmental entities. Modeled after successful business parks such as Research Triangle Park in North Carolina, the Corporation is designed to provide strong and consistent leadership, unified marketing and branding, and one stop shopping for land, incentives and permitting. It is anticipated that the board will include local government and private-sector representatives.

How do we know the proposed Aerotropolis region is viable for this type of development?

The Metropolitan Detroit region has the key elements to become a world-class Aerotropolis – major airport facilities, available land, and engaged and supportive community leaders and business executives. Home to over five million people, southeast Michigan is one of the largest metropolitan areas in the country. With a strong manufacturing base and excellent infrastructure, Detroit is ideally positioned to become a global center for cargo and logistics activity, the foundation for the Detroit Region Aerotropolis.

As part of the foundation for the Jones Lang LaSalle Strategic Development Plan, a physical property review, legal/regulatory analysis, and real estate market assessment were completed. These analyses identified: 1) the many strengths and minor manageable weaknesses of the Detroit Aerotropolis; 2) no major legal/regulatory impediments to development; 3) solid fundamentals for development in the warehouse/distribution market; and 4) additional development opportunities in underserved markets such as R&D/flex, office and hotel.

The Strategic Development Plan outlines the planning concepts to ensure a globally competitive aerotropolis that adds significantly to the quality of life for member communities. It capitalizes on existing infrastructure while creating a sustainable network to serve current and future generations.

In addition to the Jones Lang LaSalle analysis, Detroit has a reputation of being one of the most “logistics friendly” regions in the United States by Expansion Management Online. Detroit is the third leading gateway when compared with all U.S. freight gateways—land, air and sea.