Attracting Aviation Businesses -- How?

Jay, you could always do what I did. Run for your city/county board
(whichever
the airport is located in) and then YOU get to make the rules on how the
airport
is run. Be forewarned that it may cost you an airplane, a business, and a
wife.
My two terms of office did.

Ouch.

In a failed attempt to make the airport more self-sufficient, our airport
commission has carved out a piece of land along the northern boundary of the
airport and called it a "commercial zone". It is right next to our hotel,
and we would LOVE to see some aviation related businesses locate there.
(There are a dozen or so parcels available.)

Current problem: There is no access from the airport to this strip of
businesses. The solution is to install a simple gate in the fence, and when
they close RWY 18/36 in a year or two this strip of concrete will be a good
taxi-way right up to the fence.

They *were* trying to lease this land, but got no takers -- so now they're
trying to sell it. We live in fear that they will sell to some auto salvage
yard (or worse), so it's truly in my best interest to figure out how to make
my dream of turning IOW into a one-stop-shopping destination come true.

As for running for office, I do believe my wife would kill me. Not because
she isn't all for the concept, but because she's already carrying more of
the load than she should during these "start-up" years...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"