Gov. Janet Napolitano returned a vital economic tool Thursday to Mesa's Williams Gateway Airport in a move local leaders think will sustain the region's ongoing redevelopment efforts.
Napolitano issued an executive order re-establishing the airport as a military reuse zone for the next 10 years, meaning the country's armed forces can use the former Air Force base if needed.
But more importantly, at least in terms of economic development, it clears the way for the airport to offer incentives such as tax breaks and abatements to attract companies and create jobs.
The designation is nothing new for the the airport. It had been a reuse zone for the military since 1996 until it expired in July. During that decade, airport officials used the incentives to lure nearly 40 businesses and create more than 1,400 jobs.
During a meeting Thursday of the Williams Gateway Airport Authority board and the Arizona Department of Transportation board, Napolitano said it was important to restore that status.
"I believe this will be an epicenter for jobs and job creation," Napolitano said during an afternoon meeting at the Mesa airport. The stop was one of many for the governor as she made her way across the East Valley.
Napolitano made an appearance at Schnepf Farms in Queen Creek before having lunch at the town's chamber of commerce. She also visited Mesa Community College and hosted a forum in Sun Lakes later that evening.
Officials with the governor's office said a constant theme of her visit was growth - which also happens to be a major element of her reelection campaign.
On the campaign trail, Napolitano is constantly reminding voters that the state's population of 6 million is expected to double over the next two decades. Much of that growth is happening in places like Queen Creek and Pinal County.
Williams Gateway is expected to play an important role in handling the explosive development by taking pressure off of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and creating new jobs. Arizona State University's Polytechnic campus, which is nearby, also is expected to help spur economic activity.
Mesa Mayor Keno Hawker applauded the move by Napolitano saying, "She's done what I think is best for the state of Arizona." Hawker, like many other East Valley leaders, thinks the area could transform from a nearly abandoned military base into a major economic powerhouse for the state.
Hawker, who believes redevelopment in the area could create tens of thousands of new jobs, says Napolitano's executive order will further that goal. Likewise, Lynn Kusy, executive director of the Williams Gateway Airport Authority, said the tax breaks that come along will be vital for further development
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