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News Release

Contact: Joe King, Office of Public Affairs
(815) 753-4299

March 17, 2004

NIU PROFESSOR SAYS AIRPORT COULD LAUNCH ECONOMIC GROWTH

 

ROCKFORD -- The Northwest Chicagoland Regional Airport at Rockford can be a tremendous economic engine for the entire Rock River Valley, business and government leaders agree, but much must be done to rev up that engine, they say.

“We’re sitting on a goldmine – but we need to do something about it; we need to make this area a more attractive environment for business,” said State Representative Chuck Jefferson who organized a March 11 breakfast forum on how to increase freight traffic at the airport.

Rockford Mayor Doug Scott agreed that the airport is vital to the city’s future, saying that circumstances have never been more favorable to position Rockford’s airport as the best alternative for easing congestion at O’Hare and Midway Airports in Chicago.

“The O’Hare expansion plan and the proposed Peotone airport get all of the press, but we have things to offer here that no one else can – and our facility is up and running,” said Scott. “The community needs to speak with one voice about the value of this airport to this region and seize this opportunity.”

John Lewis, associate vice president for Northern Illinois University Outreach who has done extensive research into the economy of northwestern Illinois, moderated the summit. He believes that the airport could play a major role in helping to revive the Rock River Valley economy, which has lagged behind the rest of the state in the latest recovery.

 

“I think the airport, and the tax increment financing district around it, give the community a chance to redefine itself,” Lewis says. “With some targeted effort to attract business that rely heavily upon planes to move product – another freight company like UPS, any company that has lightweight products that can be shipped by air, or even companies specializing in refurbishing aircraft – would be possible targets, and all would provide good jobs.”

“It is a blue print that has been used successfully in places like Memphis and Nashville and one that might work here,” Lewis added. “What the community needs to do now is devise a strategic vision for the role of the airport in the economic development of the region, a plan that leverages the many advantages that the airport provides.”         Panelists at the summit set in motion a process that may lead to just such a plan. During the meeting they identified specific areas that need to be addressed to utilize the airport to its greatest benefit. That list included:


·        Improving access to surrounding roads to further exploit one of the airport’s greatest assets, its proximity to major expressways. Doing so would encourage further expansion of the airport as a major freight hub, the viability of which has been demonstrated by the United Parcel Service operation at the airport (the facility now ranks 23rd in annual cargo tonnage among U.S. airports).

·        Improving sanitary sewer service in and around the airport grounds, which would make it quicker and easier for businesses to locate there, an important consideration for many corporations.

·         Developing of a high-speed broadband Internet network, something of increasing importance as companies ship greater and greater amounts of data online. Other major cargo airports tout their high speed data systems as one of their biggest selling points.

 

City, state and federal governments have supported efforts to make such improvements at the airport in recent years and, despite tough economic times, they are likely to continue doing so if the case can be made that those investments will pay off in jobs and growth, said representatives at the meeting from all three levels of government.


“The governor understands the critical value of regional airports,” said Dennis Sienko of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

 

The other critical step required to turn the airport into a major economic engine is better marketing of the facility, all agreed. Such efforts could range from simply creating a standard set of talking points for business and political leaders to use in promoting the airport, to assembling a set of economic incentives to make the facility more attractive to businesses. Brian Davis, representing Congressman Don Manzullo, said that the congressman is pursuing federal funding to develop a marketing program to build better name recognition for the airport.


Steve Bois, the northern stateline regional manager for the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, volunteered to organize a series of regular meetings to start moving forward on those issues and most at the summit vowed to participate. Formation of that group was encouraging, Jefferson said, because there is no shortage of work to be done.

 

“I was happy with the results of the summit, but there is much to be done if we hope to realize our goal of tapping the full potential of this airport as a freight and cargo hub. We can do so much to relieve the congestion at O’Hare and Midway and improve the economic well being of our community at the same time,” Jefferson said.

 

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