Indianapolis International Airport to seek land bidders

• Land is first of 3,200 acres being returned to tax rolls.

Indianapolis International Airport will be collecting applications from businesses and individuals that want to be real estate brokers for more than 600 acres of airport land up for sale.

Requests for qualifications were sent out Friday and need to be returned by April 17. The airport will send out a separate request for bids to developers this month.

The formerly tax-exempt land, surrounding the old terminal and along Washington Street, is part of 3,200 acres being returned to the market. Airport officials said the land is worth $83 million and will generate $1.8 million a year in property taxes.

Mario Rodriguez, executive director of the Indianapolis Airport Authority, said the development will not be aviation-related but couldn’t predict what type of businesses would land on the properties.

“That will be up to the developers and will be whatever the market will bear,” Rodriguez said. “We at the airport know about aviation development but will leave the private development to others.”

He said businesses have expressed great interest in the property, and “we are expecting a great response from the real estate community.”

About 2,000 acres is protected habitat and must be used for nonprofit recreational or educational purposes. Rodriguez said the airport is talking to Hendricks County and Plainfield officials — where most of the land is located — about how it can be used.

“Maybe some nature trails, things like that,” he said. “Those governments are very good at developing parks.”

Call Star reporter John Tuohy at (317) 444-56418. Follow him on Twitter: @john_tuohy.