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To Keene Airport Development Committee:
The Department of
Commerce has evaluated your proposal for Airport
Development and has developed the following feedback about this
development.
Industry Gains:
Manufacturing
and service industries benefit greatly from being able
to use local airports to improve distribution of manufactured
items or receipt of these items for commercial
use. New manufacturing companies such as ChipCo and CDNow
will benefit from the addition of the airport. Companies
that were previously interested in establishing plants near
Keene, such as General Engines Automotive Corporation, may
find Keene more appealing with a new airport. Less than 20%
of Keene's workforce is employed in these industries.
Primary and resource
industries such as the local fishery, mining, and timber
industries that dominated Keene's past will not benefit
greatly from the addition of an airport. While these forms of
industry dominate Keene, it should be noted that they have
been declining since the introduction of more manufacturing
industry opportunities.
General Economic Gains:
Construction
of the airport will require substantial loans and bonds provided
by Keene officials, as well as State and Federal
Organizations. As Keene is located between three major airports that
are used in abundance, this new airport may become an
instantly popular travel alternative to Los Angeles, San Francisco,
or San Jose Airports. If the Keene airport is used at less
than 30% capacity, its operation costs and related expenses
will outweigh any profit gained by the airport.
In order to
guarantee that the airport does not evolve into a city
sinkhole for debt, financial backers, airliners,
freightliners, and related companies should be contacted prior to
airport development and partnerships established with them to
establish Keene Airport as an important location
in air travel.
If Keene
Airport is successful, at more than 50% capacity, it can be
expected that the community will experience great economic
gains. These profits can be used for community development
and expansion as Keene becomes a booming metropolis.
Community Gains:
The majority
of the Keene community lives at a moderate or low
income. Less than 10% of the community is wealthy, although
this number is growing as a result of the
introduction of manufacturing industries to Keene a few years
ago. When polled, a majority of community members
stated that they would use airplanes to vacation no more than
twice a year. Very few companies rely on air
travel for business, though 20% of the businesses polled
expressed interest in expanding their business travel
within the next five years.
Please contact us if we can be of further assistance.
Sincerely,
Fred
Hajuta
Department of Commerce
Manager |
