Editorial: VBT DDA gives Aerotropolis one more chance

After discussing the poor investment of $25,000 a year the Van Buren Township Downtown Development Authority has been making since 2009 to Aerotropolis, the DDA decided to give it one more chance. It authorized another payment of $25,000 to Aerotropolis. This makes $200,000 the VBT DDA has allocated to Aerotropolis without a payback.
At Tuesday’s meeting, the DDA spent more than an hour listening to Aerotropolis representatives say what they are going to do for VBT and hearing DDA members question the $25,000 yearly costs that have brought nothing in return.
Marco Salomone, the full-time director of business development for Detroit Region Aerotropolis, when questioned, said Huron Township had dropped out of Aerotropolis (not paying dues), Belleville does not pay dues, Ypsilanti Township pays just $15,000 and the City of Ypsilanti also asked for a $10,000 waiver. Wayne County pays $100,000; Washtenaw County pays $50,000, DTE pays $10,000 and the Airport Authority paid $90,000 for a marketing event and will pay again for such an event next year.
Whether a community pays or not that community is still on the map in the Aerotropolis literature that pushes seven communities between the Willow Run and Metro airports. Salomone admitted there had been a “failure to launch…study after study” and more flash and pizzaz than tackling and scoring for Aerotropolis.