The Eastern Iowa Airport – CID has launched a new website CIDSuperPark, highlighting development opportunities available on airport property. The site will serve as a tool for state and local economic developers as they market to existing businesses considering expansion or relocation and when recruiting new business to the region.
CID has 3,300 acres in total, with 1,300 acres available for development. This includes the 582-acre State Certified Land & Air Super Park, located north of the airport. The Land & Air Super Park was the State of Iowa’s first industrial Super Park under the Iowa Economic Development Authority’s certified site program. Among the requirements to be a certified Super Park, there must be a minimum of 500 acres and the land must have access to air, rail and interstate transportation. The land in the certified super park is development-ready, with various engineering and environmental documentation completed, providing a speed-to-market process for developers.
In addition to the certified site, CID has several parcels located throughout its campus available for various airport- compatible development. The website provides an overview of each parcel and provides information for the highest and best use of each tract.
Marty Lenss, airport director, says the site is a great resource for those working in economic development and site selectors looking at the region for opportunities.
“We wanted to provide our partners with a marketing tool that focuses on airport properties and provides accurate site information at a click of a button,” Lenss says.
Over the years, the Airport Commission has been strategic when making land purchases to provide the necessary runway protections for existing and future growth, as well as looking at ways to provide compatible, economic development opportunities around the airport.
The Federal Aviation Administration requires airports to be as self-sustaining as possible, and Lenss says creating other revenue sources helps ensure CID meets that requirement.
“The impacts of the pandemic really drive home the need for the airport to develop non-airline-related revenue sources,” Lenss says, “The new website will be another tool in our tool-box as we grow CID.”
