Placing a prison near the airport would be about as wasteful a thing as we could do.
Wasteful in terms of what the land has the potential to be used for, for it is not a prison and not another industrial park that ought to go there.
Yes, land near airports is often given little more value than to be the home of industrial parks. Salt Lake International Airport, itself, is an example of this.
How we sell that property short.
How should the land be used? Look at it either of two ways. Look at it from the angle that it is an entrance to your state -- a welcoming point -- and look at it from the angle of who uses the airport, and what can you do to accommodate them.
The natural use of the land lies not in an industrial park and not in a prison.
Who flies in? And why shouldn't we locate their uses right next to the airport? Some are simply our own residents, flying back from trips out of town, and there is no great need for them to do little but hop in their cars and travel across town to their homes.
But, others are visitors. I don't know that any other city utilizes land around its airport as a greeting point, but, why not? Location, location, location, it is said, and why not apply that principle to tourism? Why not greet the tourist with convenient, now-you're here, look-what-we've got venues? Sell yourself. Sell your city and sell your state to the visitor. On a three-hour layover? Well, this is your lucky break, because an organist from the world-renown Mormon Tabernacle Choir just happens to be playing right now and you can catch a shuttle and be there enjoying it within minutes.
Pack as much as you can into the welcome zone. Maybe put up a destination-worthy museum. Maybe have a couple notable zoo animals with a pitch to see the rest at Hogle Zoo. Offer the best of your singers and the best of your clean comedians.
Who flies in? Corporate visitors? Corporations are anxious to woo and dine their clients. Why not help them? Why not have such a welcome zone partially for their benefit? Done correctly, developing such a zone can serve as a sales pitch for economic development, for corporations will appreciate it that you help them entertain their visitors.
Also, sometimes companies fly their own workers in and out, Why not place some of these companies right there in the airport zone? Make it convenient for them to fly in and out, and maybe you will attract some international companies that like this feature.Economic development, again.
Location, location, location. Its a principle not being applied to the land around airports, but it should be. Opportunity is being wasted. Make Salt Lake City the city that utilizes this resource like no other city does. We are fortunate that much of the land around ours is still available. Many cities do not have this option, for the land around their airports is already developed.
The land around an airport has a value like none other. Let's not squander it on a prison, or on another industrial park. Seize the moment, someone has said, and I think we should.
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