URP students will partner with the City of Ottumwa to create a development plan for the Ottumwa Regional Airport Growth Area.  

The Ottumwa Regional Airport offers distinct multimodal advantages, including direct access to highways, proximity to rail infrastructure, and an inventory of adjacent industrial land. Fully realizing this potential requires coordinated planning and due diligence to align access, utilities, zoning, and site readiness with targeted industry needs and available federal and state investment opportunities. 

With the right framework in place, city officials hope the development in the airport area can be a strategic economic engine for Southeast Iowa, catalyzing job creation, strengthening the regional economy, and supporting long-term community sustainability in Ottumwa and nearby communities.

One aspect of the project will include determining and facilitating the “site readiness” of the airport growth area, using the framework of the Iowa Economic Development Authority’s Certified Site Program as a guide. Certified sites demonstrate that land is (or nearly is) “shovel-ready” to site selectors and prospective businesses by pre-emptively answering questions about utility access, land ownership, transportation infrastructure and more. To compile data and identify strategies, the planning team will engage stakeholders, including city officials, economic development partners, airport leadership, property owners, utility providers, and others.

Another aspect of the plan will be to assess Ottumwa’s competitive advantages for targeted business recruitment and expansion. City official are also interested in learning about how the airport area can meet the needs of regional employers. 

Stakeholder engagement and case study research will be important components of the planning process. 

This project provides students with real-world experience in economic development planning, industrial site planning, land use analysis, infrastructure planning, stakeholder engagement, and implementation planning while addressing a strategic redevelopment opportunity for the City of Ottumwa.