Future of Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport

by District 6 Councilmember Scott Somers

As 2007 comes to a close, the City of Mesa can look forward to an exciting future, particularly in and around the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport.

Although completely capable of handling important cargo needs for the area, Gateway is first and foremost designed to be a commercial passenger airport. As the main reliever airport for Sky Harbor and the Valley, the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Update Plan currently underway is projecting as many as 5,000,000 passengers will use the airport by 2027.

This past November, the first full month that Allegiant Airlines began flights to 13 destinations across the US from Gateway, 14,000 passengers passed through the airport's passenger terminal doors. At this pace, the airport will see more than 160,000 passengers pass through those doors in just the next year.

The City and its partners are focused on attracting quality companies to Gateway that will create 100,000 high-value jobs in the area. Such companies are attracted to urban-style densities and amenities. Critical amenities include passenger airports, hotels and convention space, “class A” office space, a mix of residential choices, and high-end retail and recreation options all within close proximity to the user.

To reach the goal of 100,000 high-value jobs and provide these critical amenities, it is important for the city to select a land use plan that incorporates the proper mix of land uses that maximize the potential of both the surrounding area and Gateway airport.

The result of combining a passenger-focused airport with attracting companies that provide high-value, high-wage jobs results in a vibrant place to work, live, and play. It also provides the financial ability of the City to construct, operate, and maintain the critical public services of infrastructure, public safety and parks throughout all of Mesa.

Mesa has done well in protecting Gateway with the dream of creating an economic hub. It is now time to build that dream and reap the benefits of good planning.

At the December 13 & 14 Gateway Strategic Plan workshop, the consultant group Fishkind assessed the financial viability of the three land use proposals currently proposed in the Mesa Gateway Strategic Plan Study. Their financial modeling showed how Mesa can capture the greatest number of high wage, high value jobs. This is the goal to shoot for.

The development of Phoenix-Mesa Gateway will not happen overnight. It will require a multi-year funding commitment from local, state and federal sources – as well as private investment – to provide for the needed enhancements that will allow the airport’s growth to continue. First and foremost, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will need to continue its investment in much-needed taxiway and runway improvements, and the construction of a new passenger terminal.

I must highlight the efforts of Congressmen Jeff Flake and Harry Mitchell to provide for necessary FAA agency and discretionary funding. Also, Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters is instrumental in highlighting the importance of Gateway to current and future regional air travel.

I cannot emphasize enough how important the State of Arizona is to the success of Gateway. The Arizona Department of Transportation provides grants that help finance infrastructure on the airfield. ADOT has also been an important funding partner for projects ranging from the new Embraer maintenance facility to the recently completed hangar on the Arizona State University Polytechnic campus. This funding is made possible by utilizing money in the State Aviation Fund. I want to encourage the State Legislature to leave this fund intact for the benefit of airports around the state.

For its part, the City of Mesa is looking at alternative, privately-funded options for infrastructure for the region. One possibility is the creation of a Community Facilities District on the Mesa Proving Grounds east of the airport. Such a District would not only ensure adequate funding for infrastructure, it would also allow new growth to pay for itself. The concept is supported by DMB developers.

The emergence of Gateway as a passenger-focused airport and the development of the surrounding area as Mesa’s new urban core will provide families with better jobs, improved public services, and a higher quality of life. It is a goal I will continue to work on in the coming year.