Hartsfield-Jackson eyes tracts of land for development

Hartsfield-Jackson International plans to hire a consultant to come up with a plan for roughly 500 acres it owns around the airport, along with 10,000 acres it owns in Dawson County and 9,400 acres it owns in Paulding County.

“There are 101 different things we could do, but what’s going to sustain our long-term revenue growth?” said Hartsfield-Jackson spokesman Reese McCranie. He said some tracts of land may help with the “airport city” concept Hartsfield-Jackson is working on to make the airport a destination, including plans for a hotel next to the terminal.

The city bought the land in Paulding and Dawson back in the 1970s for possible sites for a second airport, though those sites were deemed to not be financially feasible in a 2011 study.

A meeting for those who may be interested in pursuing the airport commercial real estate consultant contract attracted representatives from Colliers International, Jones Lang LaSalle, CB Richard Ellis and Jacobs, along with other firms.

The consultant selected would create a development and action plan for the land.

“We’re looking for highest and best uses for airport-owned land,” said airport real estate manager Lynn Smith.

Separately, an airport area task force “aerotropolis blueprint” in the works to develop areas in College Park and other cities around Hartsfield-Jackson has led to ideas such as an outlet mall, a water park hotel and a sports training facility for the area.