Dale Beede THE BUSINESS TIMES
Airport Essential to Economic Wellbeing
July 25, 2018
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  • How does an airport affect commercial real estate? I was reminded of that question recently when I flew to Granby to put together a land deal for a client.

    I thought to myself: If the weather’s clear enough, I could make better time flying to Granby from Grand Junction than I could leaving early, driving and ending up frazzled after a day behind the wheel.

    I flew to Emily Warner Field in Granby, was handed the keys to a courtesy car and within an hour had looked at the land in question, eaten a quick lunch, topped of the tank in the courtesy car and driven back to the airport with enough time to preflight the airplane and beat a storm cell out of the valley. The fact Granby has a quality airport helped save at least half a day in the work that needed to be done.

    Have you ever considered the importance of the Grand Junction Regional Airport for transacting business in the Grand Valley?

    Granby is a community of perhaps 12,000 people and, because of its airport, a real estate transaction occurred rather quickly. That was just one person flying in resulting in one transaction.

    After subtracting the number of people flying in for vacations and to visit family or friends, there are about 300,000 business trips a year into the Grand Junction Regional Airport. How could that not affect business? The airport is critically important to the financial wellbeing of the community.

    Drive to the airport on a snowy day and count the jets parked on the tarmac that diverted to Grand Junction because the Aspen, Eagle County or Telluride airports were fogged in and considered dangerous. The people in those jets rent cars, spend nights in hotels, dine locally — and also affect commercial real estate. Consider how many people fly into the airport to complete a real estate transaction.

    Every company considering a Government Services Agency federal lease for one of our local governmental agencies flies people to Grand Junction to preview sites and put deals together.  Large outside businesses with branches in the Grand Vally also fly employees into the area. Why? Because it saves so much time.

    The Grand Junction Regional Airport is a real gem. Not only does our airport welcome travelers from all over the world, i also serves as a base for local companies that own aircraft or charter flights for their business needs.

    The airport boasts a 2-mile runway that can accommodate practically every jet aircraft ever built. The airport has a fixed base operation run by West Star Aviation that’s one of the tops in the nation.

    That’s not to mention a Commemorative Air Force squadron complete with a museum and World War II torpedo bombing aircraft, a Civil Air Patrol with its own aircraft, flight schools, aircraft repair shops and hangars full of airplanes that aid their owners in transacting business all over this country.

    Have you visited the airport recently? Come take a look at how the airport makes the Grand Valley stronger.

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