A $40 million capital investment is proposed for the Chandler Airpark.
If approved by the city council, Wingspan, a 250,000-square-foot office and hangar development would be built in multiple phases.
The first component is an 80,000-square-foot hangar/office complex on 4.8 acres of the 16-acre lease area. The remaining development will be deferred until Chandler finishes construction of a taxiway to serve the North Terminal Area in which Wingspan is located.
Wingspan’s first phase sits on Aviation Drive east of Curtis Way on two parcels known as Area 4. Area 3, which is west of Curtis Way on Aviation Drive and Airport Boulevard, cannot be developed until the airport access to the taxiway is constructed. The city is pursuing federal grants for that pavement work. Five phases are proposed for council approval.
The total development will include seven two-story hangars accompanied by 28,000 square feet in the office space creating a setting for businesses with a need for private aircraft. The development is focused on aviation-oriented businesses.
Construction must start within nine months of contract execution. The remaining development will phase in over three to five years.
“We have had some really active tenant interest in Wingspan,” said developer Jim Moore, CEO of Tempe-based Wingspan Business Investments LLC. “When I was a kid, I used to come to the Chandler airport and watch planes take off and land. It’s kind of exciting that now I’m helping that same airport grow.”
Chandler Economic Development Director Micah Miranda said that the airpark is one of the city’s most focused spots for new development.
“We have had a lot of interest in the area because of the amount of undeveloped land surrounding the airport,” he said.