5 Alternative Uses for the Former Plymouth Airport
The untimely closure of Plymouth City Airport in 2011 divided opinion across the region. Many were glad to see the end of a major source of noise and air pollution, while others lamented losing access to an international airport right on their doorstep. Whichever side you were on, there's no denying that the current site of the airport could certainly be put to better use.
While plans have been launched to build housing estates on the airport site, it's unclear if or when these will ever actually come to fruition. Abandoned airports have been repurposed to great effect in cities across the globe, so there's plenty that Plymouth could learn from others. Here are five alternative uses for Plymouth City Airport, based on what other airports around the world have been transformed into.
Restaurant
While converting an entire airport into a single restaurant would be an extravagant undertaking, certain parts of an airport can make for a truly memorable dining experience. One prominent example is that of Denver's Stapleton Airport, which was closed down a few years ago, only for the control tower to recently open up as a trendy hipster restaurant called the Punch Bowl.
Casino
Converting an airport into a casino seems like a pretty logical step, given that a casino would probably make the best use out of such a large space. That's precisely what the city of Athens has in mind when approaching their conversion of the former Hellinikon Athens Airport into a sprawling mega-casino. Such a conversion could be ideal for Plymouth's economy, especially given the growing popularity of casino gaming. Online casino gaming in the UK has skyrocketed, with platforms such as the Mr Green app evidence popularity by offering hundreds of slot games, live card games and roulette gaming in one place. This growth suggests that were Plymouth City Airport to become a casino, the decision would certainly pay off. For now, we'll have to make do with flying to Greece for our land-based roulette gaming.
Public Park
Given how much land airports actually use, giving that land back to the public has always proved to be a popular gesture. Cities all over the world have done this, but the most famous example is probably the conversion of the former Tempelhofer Airport in Berlin, which is now a sprawling park and recreation area in the centre of the city.
Hotel & Resort
Airports hotels are usually quite dreary affairs, and one would think that when the airport goes, so does the Holiday Inn. However, the defunct TWA Terminal at New York's JFK Airport has done the reverse and is due to open up next year as a sprawling luxury resort called the TWA Hotel, complete with pools, spas and all the entertainment a guest could ask for.
Community Hub
Airports are quite often the size of small towns, so when one goes bust, it makes sense to allow people to live there. Perhaps the most successful example of this in practice is the birth of the Mueller Community in Austin, TX, from the ashes of the former Robert Mueller Airport. The new site houses thousands of people in a prime location, and features top-rated schools, museums, and restaurants, showcasing that to improve any abandoned area, the most important ingredient is people.
There are plenty of inspiring examples of what the former Plymouth City Airport could become in the future, and hopefully, developers will consider the potential benefits to the area as a whole.
