Don’t let hockey hamper Sky Harbor Airport’s growth
Over the coming weeks, community leaders in Tempe will be asked to balance the interests of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport with a proposal to build a new home for our state’s professional hockey team.
That planned development – the Tempe Entertainment District – is 9,800 feet off the two shorter south runways, which are among the busiest runways in Arizona.
It is critical to protect those runways from any encroachment that could hamper the airport and its economic potential.
Late last year, the Support Sky Harbor Coalition launched an awareness campaign to help emphasize the importance of Sky Harbor as an economic asset to Arizona. The small ad campaign revolved around a simple question: “Where is Arizona’s most valuable real estate?”
The answer is simple: As you frequent “America’s Friendliest Airport” during 2022, the most valuable and most important real estate in all of the Grand Canyon State is planted firmly right under your feet.
Sky Harbor began as a tiny airstrip in
1935, purchased by the City of Phoenix for $100,000. Today, the airport serves the fastest growing county in the United States.
Located in the heart of Phoenix, Sky Harbor is also one of the most easily accessible major airports in the country and an essential part of the fabric of our community.
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport:
Generates an annual economic impact of $38 billion.
Serves an average of 125,000 passengers per day with countless others picking up and dropping off.
Provides employment to approximately 57,000 Arizonans.
Unfortunately, the same accessibility that puts the whole world at our doorstep also brings challenges.
Sky Harbor’s room to grow is severely limited.
With a little more than 3,000 acres, it is dwarfed by other major regional airports like Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (more than 17,000 acres) and Denver International Airport (a whopping 34,000 acres).
As our economy continues to grow, so will Sky Harbor’s need to serve it.
Preserving the ability to lengthen the two south runways and maintain compatible flight paths along the Salt River corridor are critical to the airport’s longterm ability to serve our economic growth.
Airport leadership has already stated the proposed residential development of more than 1,600 units within the noise contours is not compatible.
In due time, experts will provide arguments both in favor and opposed to the new development, but there is no question that residential development must be eliminated if they wish to protect Arizona’s most valuable real estate.
We recognize that many of us would welcome an arena more centrally located in the Valley. It is up to our community leaders in Tempe to balance those interests while protecting our Sky Harbor.
Airport officials worked closely with the City of Tempe to bring about the incredibly beautiful development that lines Tempe Town Lake today. It is a shining example of working together to ensure compatible development.
Our hope is that no one takes our regional economic asset for granted and compromises its ability to serve us today and grow in the future in exchange for a new home for a hockey club.
In the past, cooperation has characterized the relationship with Sky Harbor’s closest neighbor. We hope that continues to be the defining characteristic as we balance new opportunities now and into the future.
Gregory E. Torrez is past chairman of the Support Sky Harbor Coalition, a group of more than 80 businesses that do work with and support Sky Harbor Airport. For more information about the coalition visit supportskyharbor.com.