DeSoto putting in heliport in industrial park area

by Daphne Brown of DeSoto TODAY

The DeSoto Economic Development Corporation is proceeding with plans to erect a heliport facility in the city's industrial park area.

DEDC boardmembers, meeting in regular session Jan. 26, agreed to form a small committee to continue discussing the feasibility of a heliport on one of three suggested sites, according to DEDC interim director Norma Nichols.

Nichols spearheaded a tour of Sky Helicopter in Garland for DEDC boardmembers to tour earlier this month. DEDC boardmembers Curtistene McCowan, James Zander and Michael Hurtt participated in the Jan. 17 tour, as well as DeSoto Planning and Zoning Boardmember Richard North.

Hurtt said there were a few things he found interesting during the tour, but everything he saw indicated to him that DeSoto fit the bill for this type of facility. He pointed out that the University of North Texas and the DeSoto Independent School District are interested in providing aviation programs for their students, as well as some of the corporations that already exist in DeSoto could benefit from such an amenity.

Zander said his initial reaction to a heliport was one of hesitation. He said he was concerned with how the facility might generate money for the city and how DeSoto would fund such an endeavor.

“How would this make money for the city because while this would be a very attractive deal for DeSoto, I want to be careful that we're not putting an additional tax burden on the citizens,” Zander said.

Nichols said DeSoto could pursue as much as 90 percent of its land and construction funding from the Federal Aviation Administration while the Texas Department of Transportation could be instrumental in assisting with the facility's ongoing maintenance. Also, DeSoto could administer a fuel surcharge as a possible additional revenue source.

“This is a great business to have in your city,” Nichols told the board. “There is a tremendous need for people to be trained in aviation.”

Nichols, who was instrumental in getting the Garland heliport facility off of the ground 20 years ago, said the Sky Helicopter operation is a very successful one.

“The decision is now whatever the DEDC and city want to go forward,” Nichols, who served as interim DEDC director since October said.

Board President McCowan wanted to know what their next steps should be.

“Timing is everything,” McCowan said.

Nichols said securing the land and discussing funding are appropriate at this time. The Garland facility cost about $1.3 million 20 years ago. Nichols said she could see DeSoto's facility, should they decide to proceed and receive the desired financial funding, costing double that amount with land and fuel costs.

“There are some interesting similarities between the Garland facility and anything DeSoto might build,” Nichols said. “The Garland heliport was originally built on about 400 acres of land as the only entity there. Now it's totally built out.”

DeSoto's industrial park is about 15 percent occupied, Nichols said.

“I was in Garland at the time they decided to build the facility and I was involved in securing funding for the facility,” she said. “Coincidentally, I had no idea DeSoto was working on a heliport as one of its potential projects when I interviewed for this position.”