The Milwaukee Gateway Aerotropolis Corp., an organization to promote economic development near General Mitchell International Airport, was officially created Wednesday.
The aerotropolis is intended to provide a system to maximize airport area development, including strategies for drawing both national and international companies to the area, as well as maximizing intermodal connections in metro Milwaukee
The City of Milwaukee joined in formal cooperation with seven municipalities in the greater Milwaukee area and Milwaukee County to join the corporation. In addition to the city and county, the other municipalities that also approved resolutions to formally be a part of the corporation are Franklin, St. Francis, Cudahy, South Milwaukee, Oak Creek, Greenfield, and Greendale.
The corporation’s 16-member board elected officers and adopted bylaws Wednesday during a meeting at the airport.
Milwaukee Alderman Terry Witkowski said, “Today, as the corporation takes flight, we’re taking a major step forward to help metro Milwaukee become a larger player in the global economy, and many of those 50 task force members will become part of an advisory group that will be integral in the development of an aerotropolis for metro Milwaukee,” the alderman said.
Witkowski credited Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, the Airport Gateway Business Association and its executive director, Tom Rave, as well as the Airport Gateway Business Improvement District for their work to create the aerotropolis.
“Milwaukee area residents and businesses truly need to offer them a sincere ‘thank you’ for everything they’ve done on the project,” Witkowski said.
The officers of the Aerotropolis are: president Scott Yauck, principal of Cobalt Partners; vice president John Hermes, Greendale village president; secretary Tony Day, mayor of Cudahy; and treasurer Samer Abulugbod, owner of Crystal Limousine & Coach.
The group also named its public and private sector members. They include:
Milwaukee County: Supervisor Pat Jursik and Barry Bateman, director of General Mitchell International Airport
City of Milwaukee: Rocky Marcoux, commissioner of the Department of City Development, and Eric Reinelt, director of The Port of Milwaukee
Cudahy: Tony Day, mayor
Franklin: Rom Taylor, mayor
Greendale: John Hermes, village president
Greenfield: Michael Neitzke, mayor
Oak Creek: Dick Bolender, mayor
South Milwaukee: Tom Zepnick, mayor
St. Francis: Al Richards, mayor
Private sector members elected to the board include:
Christian Bartley, president, World Trade Center Wisconsin
Paul Bowers, publisher of Airport Improvement Magazine
Gregg Lindner, president of Lindner Logistics president of the Airport Gateway Business Association and chairman of the Airport Gateway Business Improvement District
Rave will discuss the aerotropolis concept and the need to upgrade the region’s transportation infrastructure as a panelist at the BizTimes Commercial Real Estate & Development Conference. The theme of this year’s conference will be “Milwaukee 2020.” To register to attend the conference, visit www.biztimes.com/creconference.
– BizTimes Milwaukee
