It’s the enormous “get” that made Denver Mayor Michael Hancock’s “aerotropolis” project seem suddenly like something that could be realized.

Last year, Panasonic Enterprise Solutions was looking at 22 cities for a place to land before deciding in December to commit to Denver. The company plans to build a new technology center and business hub on private land just outside the airport that will develop and manufacture video screens and scoreboards, as well as solar energy systems and batteries. The project is projected to bring 400 new jobs and $82 million in business to the region. Panasonic President Jim Doyle told news outlets that the company was drawn to Denver by the big-vision concept touted by Hancock, in which the airport is less a mere transportation hub and more of a city of the future, supporting businesses and lifestyles of the global networked era increasingly defined by speed and mobility.

You see, supporters say to Denver and Adams County voters, just pass ballot proposal 1A, and vigorous new businesses will come and tax money will rain down. This is how public-private partnerships are leveraged to make big things happen.

Not so fast, say skeptics.

Panasonic was lured by more than a big vision: Denver piled on typical kinds of incentives, as well, in the form of a $1.5 million tax credit and $1.35 million to pay for local job creation and startup building and operational costs. What’s more, the Panasonic complex will be part of a mixed-use development that will be supported by an RTD rail station and public facilities.

That all sounds great, say opponents of the initiatives, but what we’re talking about is corporate welfare — give a little, and it turns into a lot. It’s a recipe for cronyism, says free-marketeer Mike Krause of the libertarian-leaning Independence Institute. Incentives beget incentives, and it can all go south fast.

Nonsense, says Adams County Commissioner Erik Hansen, a strong proponent of the ballot measures that would spur development like the Panasonic village. He said for residents of Denver and Adams County, voting for 1A is a no-brainer.

“This is a heckuva deal for taxpayers,” he says. “No increase in taxes, debts or noise — but, yes, an increase in revenue.”

— john.tomasic@gmail.com