Steve Dick, Herald-Bulletin
steve.dick@heraldbulletin.com
4,000-acre site in southwest Madison County is being studied for a possible airport that could replace the Indianapolis Metropolitan Airport (Metro) in Fishers and Anderson Municipal Airport.
Details of a feasibility study by Aerofinity, an Indianapolis-based airport planning firm, released Thursday show an area in Green and Stony Creek townships that would be bordered by Indiana 13 on the west, Indiana 38 to the south, Old Indiana 32 to the north and County Road 625 to the east.
The area includes part of Pendleton and bumps up against the Lapel town limits.
There will be a public meeting on Monday, July 23, at the Flagship Enterprise Center, from 1:30 to 7:30 p.m., to present the plan to the public.
According to Susan Schalk, president of Aerofinity, a group of 27 Anderson business and community leaders requested the feasibility study.
"Volunteers identified that area that might work (for an airport)," said Schalk.
All of the names weren't readily available, but Anderson City Council member Art Pepelea was instrumental in moving the project along.
The feasibility study was initiated in March, and Aerofinity decided it was at the point where information could be shared. The study still has steps to go, such as being presented to the Anderson and Metro airports and the Federal Aviation Administration.
Schalk, who was joined by Lou Gerig, representing Indianapolis Airport Authority, which owns Metro, and Art Patterson of Flagship, spoke of the economic development possibilities associated with an airport. Patterson said that replacement airports in the United States have been magnets for economic development.
The proposed airport, at 4,000 acres, would allow growth around the airport proper, which would be 1,500 acres.
"(The acreage) would be enough to protect long-term development," said Schalk.
Metro in Fishers is locked in, according to Gerig. There is no more room for growth around it. The town of Fishers provided funds for the study.
The feasibility study looked at seven areas:
- Inventory of Metro Airport
- Inventory of Anderson Municipal Airport
Review of the study area
- Environmental perspective
- Specific replacement layout
- Market area
- Financial analysis
Property owners in the area were not included in the study, and no one could say who would actually buy the property for the site area.
Findings that will be available at the open house include:
- Whether the study site would meet or exceed the capabilities of Metro and Anderson Municipal airports.
- Potential market area and users the replacement facility could serve.
- Results of a financial analysis comparing the operation of existing airports to this replacement airport.
Schalk said it's not often a new airport is built. One in Hendricks County that opened in 2001 took 10 years from study to construction.