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Project Runway

A new, privately owned airport in Branson means big changes for you and for 417-land. Find out what's in store once this unprecedented project is complete.

(page 6 of 7)

The Branson Airport construction site is surrounded by green, both literally in the form of trees, and figuratively in the form of dollars.

Entertaining Thoughts of Change

The ripples are already being felt in Branson. The developers are on the loose, and they aren’t the only ones thinking about the changes. For the entertainers, this will be big news. Out the window of Yakov Smirnoff’s office, the coming changes are apparent. The cool green hills of the Ozarks are churned into rock and clay by the rapid construction of a new Wal-Mart Super Center on Bird Road.

“Look what’s going on right here, a city is being built in a year right next to me,” Smirnoff says.

Smirnoff has been thinking about the future. His theatre in Branson is one of the first landmarks you encounter as you travel south down Highway 65 into town. By the time I arrive, I’ve seen his grinning face on a dozen billboards.

On a serious subject like economic growth and the new airport, Yakov Smirnoff will surprise you. The beard, the smile and the accent are all there, but the comedy sits backstage as Smirnoff lays out his vision of the new airport and what it means for Branson.

“In the next 10 years, this place will expand at the speed of Las Vegas,” Smirnoff says.

Smirnoff recalls his early days in Las Vegas. The Las Vegas airport of the late 1970s and early 1980s was not so big, as he recalls it. Only after Las Vegas expanded the airport did growth take off for that destination city. Smirnoff sees Branson on the cusp of that same success and growth. “People want to fly right in and rent a car or whatever they are used to,” Smirnoff says.

Smirnoff says baby boomers will be a lot less inclined than the previous generation to take a four-hour bus ride from Kansas City or Tulsa. He says the next few years will decide if Branson is ready for the world stage as well.

“It is a gauge of whether we grow up or not, of whether we are a real destination or we are not 100 percent yet,” Smirnoff says. “I predict it will start small and grow very fast.”

It will also mean easier access for Smirnoff and other entertainers. Smirnoff finds himself flying in and out a lot during the off-season. The new airport will mean more of that. The changes for those in Smirnoff’s business will be enormous.

More entertainers from outside the region will be more likely to consider flying in for a show. “Big name entertainers will be able to come and go real fast,” Bourk says. “Bill Cosby was just in town. His corporate jet had to land in Harrison, Arkansas. Now he will be able to fly right in.”

For entertainers like Andy Williams, the possibility of international flights could mean direct access for even more of their fans. Williams and Branson are well-known in Europe, according to Coleman, even if they have no direct way to get here yet.

For Smirnoff, the considerations are closer to home. “I don’t know how it is going to be flying right over my house,” he says. “I don’t know if I’m going to like it or not. I think it is part of progress. You will have some noise, but it is going to bring a lot more business.”

Smirnoff looks out the window for a moment and when he turns around, the comedian has returned. “And if you are short of a little physical affection, they will be glad to touch you at the security checkpoint,” Smirnoff says. “This new addition to Branson can be very important. With the rising cost of health care, we need to be more frugal. If you need an X-ray, now you can go to the airport.”

 

Everything Changes

The first impact of the airport, aside from the physical change in the landscape, will likely be felt in property values. The demand is rising for commercial property, especially since the airport was announced. According to Coleman, many in Springfield might be surprised at the growth in demand.

“You know there really isn’t a great deal of property here,” Coleman says. “That’s not what a lot of people think but a lot of Taney County is national forest, College of the Ozarks, White River Electric and the Corp of Engineers. There really is not a lot of property left in Taney County.”
Coleman says the situation is similar to Aspen, where high demand and shortage of supply drove property values. “I think we are going to be the Aspen of the Midwest,” Coleman says.