Columbus has issued a request for proposals to developers for development services to design, build and operate a transportation proving ground, research and development and/or testing and validation complex on the former Walesboro Airport property.
The Columbus Board of Aviation Commissioners approved issuing the request for proposals Tuesday for development of the property.
Parcels of 465 acres, 535 acres and 625 acres are available on the land, one half mile east of I-65 Exit 64 on County Road 450S. Proposals are due July 31 by no later than 4 p.m. The number of acres available will depend on if current tenants, such as Faurecia and Cummins, agree to vacate or amend.
Greater Columbus Economic Development Corporation (EDC) assisted the aviation board in preparing the proposal and will continue to offer advisory services throughout the evaluation process, said Jason Hester, president of the Greater Columbus EDC.
Proposals are due at 4 p.m. July 31 and a pre-proposal conference is scheduled for June 23, Hester said.
If a development proposal is selected, groundbreaking might occur in the second quarter of 2021, according to the request for proposals document.
“We are enthused to see the airport take this important step to issue an RFP for the potential redevelopment of the former Walesboro Airport property,” Hester said in a statement. “Columbus, Indiana, is a city that is known for its design, engineering, and manufacturing strengths, and if successfully developed as envisioned, this project will serve existing and new employers while positioning Columbus, Indiana, as a national leader in automotive development and testing for decades to come.”
Hester said that in addition to seeking proposals from new developers, they will also be notifying “any developer who’s expressed interest in the past, going back all the way to 2012.”
Airport director Brian Payne said that since the land in question is still airport-owned property, the Federal Aviation Administration “will review any kind of sales agreements, along with designs and making sure that it is best, not just for the airport, but also for the city of Columbus.”
The RFP notes that one consideration developers should take into account is the site’s floodplain status.
“Shortly after the local 2012 study was completed, as part of a routine update of floodplain maps throughout Indiana, FEMA and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) designated the majority of the site within a 100-year (1%) floodplain, with depths of less than 1 foot up to 4 feet or more,” the document stated. “All improvements within a floodplain will be required to comply with all applicable local, state and/or federal codes.”
In 2018-19, the city worked with civil engineering firm Christopher B. Burke Engineering, LLC “to identify potential measures to remove and/or consolidate floodplain or floodway areas to maximize flood-free development acreage, assuming the former runways remained onsite,” the proposal states. Information about the firm’s proposal is available upon request.
Developers are also encouraged to obtain letters of support from both Cummins and Faurecia.
“We recognize both Faurecia and Cummins are number one manufacturers when it comes to test tracks,” Payne said. “We want to make sure that we do no harm to our current tenants, (and) that we do no harm to our current developers that are on that property.”
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Interested developers can download a copy of the RFP at https://www.columbus.in.gov/airport/ and www.columbusin.org or by emailing Payne at [email protected] to request a copy. Questions about the RFP can be emailed to [email protected] and [email protected].
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