LANSING | The village likely will advertise online and in a national publication to attract developers to the northeast corner of the Lansing Municipal Airport.
Trustees voted 6-0 on Tuesday to give Village Clerk Jean Eisha authority to advertise Lansing's formal request for proposals to develop 11.6 acres at the airport's new entrance at the intersection of Glenwood-Lansing Road and Wentworth Avenue.
The village is considering advertising in In Flight USA magazine and on www.chicagorealestatedaily.com, operated by Crain's Chicago Business, said Grace Bazylewski, director of planning and development for Lansing.
Bazylewski said last week she already had sent the request for proposals to the Association of Industrial Real Estate Brokers and each of the real estate developers for which she has contact information.
Lansing officials hope to attract business to the airport, but they also plan to recoup the $443,000 the village invested in the $2.3 million project creating the new entrance and infrastructure on the property.
The Village Board discussed the proposal in a closed session during its meeting July 10. Earlier during that meeting, Trustee Patty Eidam and Airport Manager Bob Malkas outlined the proposed request for proposals.
Bazylewski condensed their presentations into one short paragraph that will be used in the advertisements for developers, said Eidam, the chairwoman of the board's aviation committee.
The property, known as the "northeast quadrant" of the airport, will contain access to the north-south runway through ground lease agreements with the village, Eidam said. Developers must assume "full responsibility" for operations on leased property, she said.
"All business must be aviation-related," Eidam said. "Infrastructure to this portion (of the airport) is substantially completed. Successful developers may be eligible to develop a remaining portion of the quadrant."
Lansing officials hope to create a "professional industrial-air business park" on the property with a "white tablecloth restaurant" and conference center, Eidam said.
The village will not likely advertise in Chicago newspapers because their rates are too expensive, Bazylewski said.
Lansing will present its request for proposals during a meeting with the South Suburban Development Corp., she said.
Trustee Bob Ryan encouraged Bazylewski to spend freely.
"With marketing, money spent is money back," Ryan said.
