WWII-Era Land Restrictions Lifted to Fuel Watertown Economic Development
- Steve Jurrens
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Northeast Radio SD News - Watertown, SD - The City of Watertown has reached a historic milestone in its land management, officially clearing the final hurdles to release airport property from World War II-era federal restrictions.
During Tuesday’s City Council meeting, officials authorized City Manager Alan Stager to sign a Deed of Release with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The agreement releases approximately 305 acres of land from the National Emergency Use Provisions, which date back to 1947. These provisions initially granted the federal government unrestricted control and use of the landing areas and facilities during any declared national emergency.
“That has been a release that has been in the works for a long time that actually goes right back to the end of World War II, where we had restrictions on what we could do with airport property,” Stager told the council. “Now we are at the final stage of releasing that so we can officially dedicate property for economic development and other purposes.”
The released property includes several key parcels, including portions of the Airport Industrial Addition and Industrial Lot 1, which are now poised for official dedication to the city’s growing economic development portfolio.
In addition to the airport land release, the city is preparing for a new wave of growth through Tax Increment Financing (TIF). Stager announced that two upcoming TIF requests are currently being processed.
The Watertown Planning Commission will first review these economic incentives at its February 19 meeting. Following the commission’s recommendation, the proposals will be brought before the City Council for final consideration.
The move to clear decades-old land restrictions, combined with the new TIF requests, signals a robust start to 2026 for Watertown’s development strategy.
