A major milestone for Eastern Iowa Airport

It may have looked risky at the time, but 30-plus years later, it seems that forward-thinking investment has paid off.

We're talking about $28 million in bonds issued by the Cedar Rapids Airport Commission to build a new terminal at The Eastern Iowa Airport. On Tuesday, local leaders celebrated at the city-owned airport with a ceremonial bond-burning, marking the final bond payment.

Officials say Cedar Rapids is only one of three debt-free airports in the nation that draw more than 500,000 passengers.

The airport is a big regional success story, just as city leaders, led by longtime Mayor Don Canney, hoped it could be 30 years ago. The airport's terminal is named after Canney, who saw the economic promise of a high-quality airport even in the midst of a staggering farm crisis.

'Today, we have over a million people each year using The Eastern Iowa Airport.” said current Mayor Ron Corbett, pointing to an Iowa Department of Transportation study that concluded airport access is a top factor for companies looking to locate or expand. The airport's success also is a timely example of how public investments can pay considerable community and regional dividends. Post-flood, the city of Cedar Rapids and other local governments have made substantial, ambitious public investments in recovery and development projects with an eye on the community's future vibrancy. Like in 1983, some have argued that those investments are too risky.

Sound planning and management guided the airport to its enviable debt-free landing, and that's what it will take to make sure recent debt investments made by local leaders will lead to future success.

We've supported the vast majority of those projects, which already have transformed our community for the better. With responsible, responsive and transparent management, we expect more positive results.

It's not hard to envision a day decades in the future when the city's decision to build a convention complex, buy and renovate a downtown hotel and invest in new public facilities will be lauded as watershed moments.

We'd also note that the airport is further proof that regional cooperation can lead to shared economic benefits. Economic development efforts, too often focused on boundaries and competition, should be focused on creating more of these regional success stories.

' Comments: (319) 398-8469; editorial@thegazette.com