BRIGHTON | After years of heated negotiations that have happened behind closed doors, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock’s vision of an “airport city,” slated for the dozens of square miles of prairie surrounding Denver International Airport, is one step closer to becoming a reality.
Aurora city officials, who have long accused Denver of unfairly trying to amend a long-standing agreement governing the area, are now behind Hancock’s plan.
“We were a major player in these negotiations,” said Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan of an amendment made June 3 to a 1988 intergovernmental pact that was adopted by Denver and Adams County municipalities that surround DIA.
That amendment gives Denver the right to allow commercial development as part of a pilot program on up to 1,500 acres at DIA. It also says that Denver has to split tax revenues that come from the new businesses evenly with surrounding municipalities in Adams County.
At the June 3 meeting, Denver’s deputy mayor Cary Kennedy estimated those tax revenues would add anywhere from $160 million to $270 million over three decades.
Aurora also will receive $2.7 million from Denver for the right to develop on the land, under the agreement that is paying $10 million upfront, split between Aurora, Commerce City and other smaller municipalities adjoining DIA.
Hogan said an added benefit for Aurora is that the city does not have to pay for any infrastructure for the new businesses under the agreement.
“We get revenue out of it, and we don’t have to pay for water, police protection or sewers,” he said.
He said that Aurora also did some heavy negotiating for a stipulation that prevents Denver from seeking new commercial businesses that would compete with the nearby Anschutz Medical Campus and Fitzsimons. The agreement also prevents Denver from building residential units or hotels on the land, which Hogan said will benefit Aurora in being able to attract new residents.
Under the agreement, DIA keeps all of the money from land leases.
So far, Denver city officials have remained tight-lipped about potential development and have not named any specific businesses that are interested in the area.
Amber Miller, a spokeswoman for Hancock, said Denver was looking into “the same types of commercial uses located at other airports around the country, including a mixture of office parks, warehouses, light assembly and manufacturing, even if they are not directly related to airport operations or aviation.”
The measure still needs to be approved by Denver and Adams County voters Nov. 3. Miller said Hancock’s office is confident Denver voters will approve the measure, even though it means a tax increase for them.
“With 12,000 new jobs and millions of dollars in new revenue set to be created by this agreement, I think voters will clearly see we are setting this region on a trajectory for abundant opportunity here,” she said.
She said Denver plans to pay for infrastructure on the 1,500 acres through a combination of development-related fees and airport funding.
Adams County, Aurora, Brighton, Commerce City, Federal Heights and Thornton participated in the discussions that led to the agreement as members of the Airport Coordinating Committee.
The original 1988 agreements paved the way for the relocation of the overcrowded and outgrown Stapleton International Airport. DIA opened on its current 53-square-mile site in 1995.
“I think this is a historic agreement that is going to set the tone for economic development for the entire region,” said Adams County Commissioner Erik Hansen.
In January, Denver City Council members voted to approve a $623,000 contract to hire the Colorado Department of Transportation to create a comprehensive land use and transportation plan around DIA.
Hancock’s airport city plan calls for the development of businesses in industries including aerospace, logistics, renewable energy, agrotech and aviation. Critics say classifying aerospace, renewable energy and agrotech businesses as airport-related is a stretch.
Hogan got it right to not compromise on bioscience development. But otherwise why not go along with Denver who is taking on most of the capital risks.
Ummm, $260 mill over 30 years is $8.6 mill per year, and our Aurora share of 27% of that Is $2.3 mill a year?!? We have to be the worst negotiators in the contry to sell our future land rights for a lousy few mill each year. J. Dougherty – Aurora
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