Support Letter for Airport Expantion
April 7, 2011
To: Winnebago County Executive
Winnebago County Board Chairman
Winnebago County Board of Supervisors
From: West Side Association
RE: Land Purchase for Aviation Business Park
The West Side Association, a subsidiary of the Oshkosh Chamber made up of business people primarily located on the south and west sides of Oshkosh, would like to go on record as officially supporting the purchase of the Brennand and Glatz properties south of Wittman Regional Airport for the purpose of developing an Aviation Business Park.
As an organization we feel this is an opportunity for Oshkosh to attract aviation related businesses thereby growing our community in a positive way. According to an economic impact study done by the UW Extension, the business park has the potential to create 1000 jobs and an additional $343,000,000 in annual economic activity. Understandably, this growth will not be immediate, but it is vital that we plan for the future of our community as well as tend to our current needs.
We understand the County may be hesitant to expend funds to purchase land in this economic climate, however we agree with the partners bringing this before the Board that this is an excellent investment in our future. Since it is anticipated that the County may be reimbursed for up to 90% of the land costs from the Bureau of Aeronautics, this opportunity should not be passed by. With cooperation between the County and the city of Oshkosh, which has proposed establishing a TIF district to defray the costs of putting in the necessary utilities, roads and storm water management facilities, this project could set the stage for other forward-thinking projects to come to fruition in Winnebago County.
We encourage you to vote in favor of purchasing the land adjacent to Wittman Regional Airport for an Aviation Business Park, and work with the city to grow the economic base in Winnebago County.
Best regards,
Connie Drexler, President,
West Side Association
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