It's been a long slow slog but I'm glad to see Aerotropolis slowly moving forward. It's hard to understate how much this project could mean for the region as a whole if it eventually ends up a success. The Downriver area needs a new source of growth & prosperity the area was essentially designed as an "aerotropolis" Willow Run Airport was after all a first of its kind all in one aircraft production center and airport at the same time. It would be great to be able to tap into that history to create a modern center for aerospace, logistics & other industries that are aviation related. The 94 corridor has all the components needed the schools & engineers especially in the Ann Arbor area and the downriver area definitely has plenty of skilled tradesmen and other relevant workers.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_94_in_Michigan
It just makes a lot of sense strategically to plan investment in the area along the I-94 - M-12 corridor. I-94 is the most important thoroughfare if you count the 401 in Ontario as part of the same road then Detroit sits smack dab in the middle of Chicago and Toronto two similarly sized large metro areas. However industry has traditionally been the driver of growth on the 94 corridor as say opposed to the I-96 corridor which has seen a lot of residential sprawl reaching out into areas of the "Irish Hills range - lakes area" in Livingston County. I'm of course not advocating a Livingston approach to dealing with development of the I-94 corridor but it could soon have commuter rail going from Ann Arbor to Detroit along with improved busses if implemented we would be looking at uncharted territory. Developing a new area in Metro Detroit with access to reliable mass transit I'd be interested to see what the outcome would be. haha
Chrysler also does tie into the origins of the area during the Second World War as the company did a good amount of aircraft production as well as Ford I-94's proto-predecessor was built from 1941 - 45 to help link up production areas with the "millitary airport" aka Willow Run. I found a wartime plan showing phase 1 the "Willow Run Expressway" competed up to the city limits by the eve of war in 1941 and with phase 2 the Detroit Industrial Expressway on the westside & phase 3 the Edsel Ford Expressway on the eastside being fully completed by 1945.
http://www.atdetroit.net/forum/messages/6790/
While double checking my facts i came across some really cool Chrysler history that I have never heard before. I knew about the previous history but it seems like Chrysler's engineer's did some extremely important cutting edge work. For example several key components of the B-29's during its original run in WW2 were built by Chrysler in Detroit including the heart of the plane the frontal fuselage the "Enola Gay" & "Bockscar" are examples.
Here's a list of all the B-29 parts supplied and the total by Chrysler and I'm assuming since the DeSoto Warren plant was the center of Chrylser's B-29 effort that many or most of these parts would have been built in the Arsenal of Democracy.
(568) B-29 Bomber Noses, (559) B-29 Wing Leading Edges, (4,752) B-29 Bomber Cowling Sets, (1,586) ... (18,413) R-3350 Radial Aircraft Engines for the B-29 (and other uses post war apparently cuz there were only over 3,000 B-29 produced but the engine went on to have many other uses)
Here's the one that got me side tracked to go off on a Chrysler tangent about B-29's when I come from a Ford family haha.
From;
The American Automobile Industry in World War Two
An American Auto Industry Heritage Tribute
By David D Jackson
Quote:
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The Manhattan Project asked Chrysler to design and manufacture the miles of nickel tubing needed for the diffusers, nickel being the only metal resistant to the highly corrosive hexafluoride. However, there was not enough nickel in the world to make the tubing out of pure nickel as was specified by the Manhattan Project engineers. Chrysler engineers found a way to instead to plate the diffusers, which was considered impossible by the Manhattan Project group due to all of the small holes and interior surfaces involved. But Chrysler prevailed and found a way to plate the parts which was also a provided a huge cost savings. It took 1,000 rail cars to ship the diffusers from the Chrysler Plymouth Lynch Road Plant in Detroit to Oak Ridge where it was installed in the huge plant known by the secret number of K-35. It was a half mile long by 1,000 feet wide.
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http://usautoindustryworldwartwo.com/chrysler.htm
Here's the article about Metro and the new new Aerotropolis push.
Quote:
Metro airport push attracts firms, jobs
By Associated Press
Crain's Detroit Business
March 31, 2018
-Detroit Region Aerotropolis Development Corp. has already secured nearly $350 million in investments
-Organization is renewing efforts to use thousands of acres of vacant land near metro Detroit's airport
-Recent successes come after nearly eight years of little to no movement within Aerotropolis
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The Detroit Region Aerotropolis Development Corp. has already secured nearly $350 million in investments and an expected 2,300 jobs from Amazon, Penske Logistics and Brose North America. Amazon and Penske will be in Romulus while Brose is expanding in Huron Township.
The three companies are expected to begin operations within the next year. Officials anticipate about $68.8 million in tax revenue over the next 15 years from the companies.
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The organization is now bringing development to the area by marketing the 6,000 acres of land and touting the location's proximity to the airport, railways and freeways.
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Wayne County Executive Warren Evans presented a 20-year regional transit proposal that would require voters to approve a $5.4 billion tax later this year. The plan includes commuter rail service connecting Ann Arbor and Detroit. Aerotropolis' target area near the airport is between the two cities.
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http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...cts-firms-jobs