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Airport authority approves policy to preserve remaining land for aeronautical uses
Summary
The Indianapolis Airport Authority board voted to repeal a 2014 land-divestiture resolution and adopt a new aeronautical land use policy that designates the authority's remaining acreage for aviation or aviation-support purposes and restricts future sales.
The Indianapolis Airport Authority board approved a new aeronautical land use policy that designates the authority's remaining land holdings for aeronautical or aeronautical-support purposes and limits those parcels to leasing rather than sale.
Board staff presented the resolution as a repeal of a 2014 strategic land-use initiative and replacement with the new aeronautical policy. The presentation said the airport previously divested just under 2,900 acres and generated $82,000,000 in sale proceeds; some of those proceeds were restricted for FAA grant-eligible airfield projects and some were unrestricted. The presenter said the authority now retains about 6,250 acres to be preserved for aeronautical purposes and that less than 150 acres remain available for sale under the prior policy.
“This will designate this remaining land to be preserved exclusively for aeronautical or aeronautical support related purposes and will be available for leasing only,” the presenter said.
Under the new policy, any proposed deviation — for example, a real estate transaction seeking a non-aeronautical use — would require staff to bring the proposal before the board for discussion and approval. Board members asked for clarifications about parcels that were not contiguous to the primary airport property and whether some easements and noncontiguous holdings tied to future runway and utilities planning would be covered. Staff said those noncontiguous parcels related to easements for power lines and future runway development and that the policy was intended to protect land needed for potential future airfield expansion.
Duane Gibbs moved approval of Resolution 05-2025; Tom McClamrock seconded. The board approved the resolution by roll call.
The board’s presentation noted that proceeds from earlier land sales were used for infrastructure projects and a portion set aside for the development of the Indianapolis Airport Westin Hotel. The new policy aims to preserve airport-controlled land for future operational needs and expansion.
Board members did not identify additional conditions in the meeting; staff said any future request to sell or convert a parcel to a non-aeronautical use would return to the board for approval.
