What incentive does the city have to close the runway early?

I have no idea. I just received an email from one of the airport
commissioners, stating that even HE didn't know the runway was closing
today. Something stinks here.

Are they able to reduce costs by closing now instead of a year from
now?

Not that I can discern. Unless you count the time spent snow plowing it
next winter?

How does the runway closure impact the commercial development plan?

A previous airport commission, in an attempt to make the airport
self-sufficient, carved off big hunks of airport property at the north
and south end of the field -- right off the departure ends of Rwy
18/36. The city is currently building a 4-lane road that will run
right off the end of Rwy 18.

This was done purportedly because

(a) The airport could lease the land to businesses, and provide a
steady stream of income to the cash-starved, always begging airport.
This has not come to pass, after five years of trying to lease or sell
the land.

(b) The FAA supposedly does not support three runways at airports like
Iowa City anymore, so they figured "what do we have to lose?". I'm not
sure what direct FAA funding this runway needed to stay open, but it
sure isn't much. (The concrete is original World War II vintage, and
still in fine shape.)

Many of us have suggested just displacing the threshholds, so that at
least the runway is available on those many days when the wind is
howling out of the north at 15 gusts to 28 -- but to no avail. I have
no idea why this is -- and I've attended every airport commission
meeting for the last several years.

As I said, something stinks here.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"