Let's not Sell Land Near the Airport for a Mess of Pottage

 It was kind of State Sen. Luz Escamilla and State Rep. Sandra Hollins to organize the town hall held this morning to discuss the Northwest Quadrant, and kind of the leaders to listen to those who attended.
  The expense of the new prison is proving to be more than expected, and it is possible our leaders are wanting to develop the land out by the airport and Great Salt Lake as a way to defray infrastructure costs for the prison, getting new development to share in the expense. My concern is that we could end up developing just to develop, without using the land to its highest use, to its potential.
   This land has value like none other in the state, and like none other in much of the western United States, in that it is open land right next to an international airport. I do not know how far you would need to go to find such land. Denver might be the nearest other international airport, but does it still have available land next to it? I don't know.
   You can utilize such land, or you can squander it. You can do no more with it than to develop light commercial, welding shops, and such. And, in so doing, you will waste it. Once it is gone, it is gone. Or, you can maximize the land. If there are things that would make the city great, and you don't leave room for them, or plan to have them, then you limit what you can become as a city. As an example of this: If the airport had been placed on the opposite side of the lake, it would limit its usefulness. It is only by being next to the city -- not 40 miles away -- that it has its greatest value. By the same point, there are uses begging to be situated next to the airport. If you would be a convention city, facilitate conventions. If you would be an international trade center, build an inland global trade port -- but also leave room where manufacturers can locate so you have things to export.
   The future goes to the person who sees its potential. Even so, if we do not see what can be done with this land, we will sell ourselves short in what we can become.  You limit yourself by what you don't think you can do. Could we manufacture cars? Why not?  Our city will be limited by what it decides it is capable of and not capable of doing.  I suggest, it could be a city that both puts in tourist attractions, and goes after corporate manufacturers. If it utilizes this land, it will will enhance opportunity to develop a vibrant, world economy.
   You are no bigger than the size of your dreams, you are no greater than what you determine to become, so let us not sell ourselves short in what we decide to do with that land.