Port Alberta to Champion the Aerotropolis Regional Corridor Initiative

On October 11, 2011, the City of Leduc participated in an Aerotropolis Stakeholder Visioning Session at Edmonton International Airport. The key presenter at that Visioning Session was Dr. Douglas Baker, an internationally recognized academic expert on the Aerotropolis concept. More than thirty regional stakeholders representing a range of governmental and business interests participated in the Visioning Session to create a foundation for moving the Aerotropolis concept forward in this region.

A key message that Dr. Baker delivered to the stakeholders at the October 11 Visioning Session is that a working group of core stakeholders should be established as soon as possible to implement and advocate for the Aerotropolis concept in this region.  Accordingly, the Aerotropolis – Port Alberta Core Group was formed with representation from five key organizations: Port Alberta, Edmonton International Airport, the City of Leduc, Leduc County, and the Aerotropolis Landowners Group.

After the Port Alberta Board of Directors agreed to serve as the champion for this initiative, the Core Group held its first meeting on December 19, 2011. A focal purpose of the December 19 meeting was to confirm the Core Group’s collaborative leadership role in the development of a regional corridor planning model based upon the Aerotropolis concept. Topics discussed at that initial meeting included:

•  roles and responsibilities of the Core Group member organizations
• development of a vision for partnership and collaboration
• development of a scope of work and an understanding of the regional context, including:

o        Port Alberta

o        Aerotropolis Landowners Group lands

o        integration of Port Alberta and the Aerotropolis Landowners Group lands in the context of a multijurisdictional regional corridor

o        defining the regional corridor

o        involvement of other stakeholders and support agencies

• 65th Avenue interchange
• exploration of funding sources for infrastructure and other supports for Aerotropolis development
• developing Terms of Reference or a Charter for the Core Group
• priorities for short-term and long-term actions

 The Core Group will continue to meet regularly through 2012 and beyond. An important short-term objective of the City of Leduc’s participation in the Core Group will be the development of guidelines for the preparation of a comprehensive Area Structure Plan for the lands immediately to the south of Edmonton International Airport, in order to provide direction to the Aerotropolis Landowners Group and to create the conditions necessary to establish competitive Aerotropolis development and infrastructure in that area.