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Land development near Wright Brothers Airport comes with tough requirements

An area at the Dayton-Wright Brothers Airport will be made available by the city of Dayton for business development.

Ron Alvey/Staff photographer An area at the Dayton-Wright Brothers Airport will be made available by the city of Dayton for business development.

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City seeks developers for land at Wright Brothers airport

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By John Nolan, Staff Writer 10:20 PM Friday, October 30, 2009

MIAMI TWP., Montgomery County — Developers that respond to Dayton’s request for proposals to commercially develop 150 acres of land at Dayton-Wright Brothers Airport face some potentially daunting challenges.

To meet the city’s requirements, the developer must:

• Deliver an irrevocable, $1.5 million letter of credit, which the developer could lose if he fails to deliver an initial development of at least 20 acres of the 150-acre tract. The requirement is that the 20 acres must generate land lease payments within three years of when the site’s master development agreement takes effect. The plan makes it a priority to develop all of the 150 acres within 10 years.

• Comply with federally regulated height restrictions that limit the size of any structures erected near where airplanes take off and land.

The city’s request for proposals requires the developer to enter into a 40-year lease with Dayton, which would retain ownership of the land. There is no guarantee that the lease would be renewed after the 40 years.

“There’s the question of what happens to the structures after the land lease is over,” said Joe Kramer, executive vice president of Henkle Schueler/Bunnell Hill, a Lebanon-based company which does commercial development in Franklin, Springboro and other markets.

Still, developers could find tenants who would benefit by having a general aviation airport nearby, Kramer said.

Hotel or retail uses are among the possibilities. The Austin Pike interchange being built nearby at Interstate 75 is to open in autumn 2010.

Dayton posted the request for proposals this month on the Web sites of the Dayton International Airport (www.flydayton.com). The city has scheduled a meeting with interested parties on Jan. 12, 2010, at Dayton-Wright Brothers Airport, 10600 Springboro Pike. City officials are to open the proposals on Feb. 19.

The airport lies within Miami Twp., Montgomery County, and Clearcreek Twp., Warren County. It will continue as an airport, no matter what development may result on the adjacent land, said Iftikhar Ahmad, Dayton’s director of aviation.

Dayton eventually will have to obtain Federal Aviation Administration approval for any non-aviation use of the airport property.

Dayton obtained similar FAA approval in December for non-aviation use of about 400 acres at the city’s Dayton International Airport. Airport officials and consultants are reviewing best possible uses of that land, with an eye toward marketing its availability in spring 2010.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2242 or jnolan@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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Usually when that much risk is taken its because they used taxpayer money, not their own. In 40 years they can walk away and Dayton can deal with more empty buildings.(If Dayton still exsists by then).

Mark
7:55 AM, 11/1/2009

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A perfect example of government ensuring provate business will not do anything. With those requirements they won't get anyone at all since the risks are too great and they are responsible for everything for decades if it doesn't work. Also the government can change conditions in the the area that can destroy even a successful venture. So why would anyone take all those risks and chances with that much money?

Quentin
3:54 PM, 10/31/2009

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