When will Metro Augusta reach 600,000 (Savannah, Evans: 2013, subdivisions, residential)

[DSMRE]

Originally Posted by Hot_Mike

Augusta metro may get 10,000 more jobs. That might speed things up a bit.

Would have to speed up a whole lot. Not trying to take your joy, just looking at the numbers.

[Hot_Mike]

That your job man, to make sure Im not making up crap. If we land this plant, trust me this will speed up quickly. 10,000 jobs land at one place all at once....just watch. Man I hope we get it.

[DSMRE]

Originally Posted by Hot_Mike

That your job man, to make sure Im not making up crap. If we land this plant, trust me this will speed up quickly. 10,000 jobs land at one place all at once....just watch. Man I hope we get it.

If you get it, you get it. But, there is more to growth than jobs. People actually have to want to live in the area. If you'll notice by looking through the boards most people who move had a choice to move or not. How do you explain the growth we're having up here? Its not just jobs, because we're in a recession like every other city. Yet 5 digits of people still come here annually.

[Hot_Mike]

Yeah like you said its a recession. If there 10,000 job openings in the crappiest part of GA, trust me, 20,000 plus aplication will be turned in. That real, when you got mouths to feed and bills to pay. We all can't work in LaLa-land but we can take a vacation there if we got the money.

[DSMRE]

Originally Posted by Hot_Mike

Yeah like you said its a recession. If there 10,000 job openings in the crappiest part of GA, trust me, 20,000 plus aplication will be turned in. That real, when you got mouths to feed and bills to pay. We all can't work in LaLa-land but we can take a vacation there if we got the money.

Lol! You got me there. I can't argue with that. I thought it was 1300 jobs?

[Hot_Mike]

Thats direct job. 10000 indirect I understand will follow. Its like a package deal, winner takes all. I cant get over the fact that the Greenville paper doesnt even mention Aiken, that scares me.

[DSMRE]

Originally Posted by Hot_Mike

Thats direct job. 10000 indirect I understand will follow. Its like a package deal, winner takes all. I cant get over the fact that the Greenville paper doesnt even mention Aiken, that scares me.

We'll like you said, papers have been wrong before. I think Greenville probably has more to pitch than Aiken though. Companies like the I-85 boombelt for one. And Greenville is smack dab in between Atlanta and Charlotte.

[Hot_Mike]

There alot of space to develope and grow between Augusta and Columbia along I-20. But you make a valid point sir.

[DSMRE]

Originally Posted by Hot_Mike

There alot of space to develope and grow between Augusta and Columbia along I-20. But you make a valid point sir.

I can't deny that. The right leadership is important for getting companies into areas and Greenville's leaders seem to be good with selling the area. I believe they are even close to bringing in Southwest Airlines to GSP.

[nortonguy]

The growth in Augusta this decade. Will absolutely speak for itself. It will definitely not be similar to the last ten years. Here are four people in their own words. Dr. Batchel, Mayor Deke, Mark Thompson Chair of Business Administration at ASU and Walter Sprouse of richmond county development authority.

"Really, what we're looking at is billions of dollars being invested in this local economy," the mayor Deke said. "To my mind, it is the perfect storm of economic development."

During the next five years, more than $14 billion -- most of it not stimulus money -- will be poured into projects at Fort Gordon, Plant Vogtle and Savannah River Site, creating thousands of temporary construction jobs and permanent high-tech jobs.

"You're talking about almost doubling the size of the region's economy," said Mark Thompson, the Cree-Walker Chair of Business Administration at Augusta State University.

Good-paying jobs and steady paychecks mean more demand for everything from restaurant meals to new cars, but whether that will dry up once the programs have run their course in the latter part of the next decade remains to be seen.

Doug Bachtel, a University of Georgia demographer and professor in the college of family and consumer sciences, cautions that while these projects will undoubtedly boost the economy.

"This could be the beginning of some very interesting challenges," Dr. Bachtel said. "But those challenges are much better than the spiral of decline like you're seeing in southwest Georgia. Be thankful for your problems."

''Roadway infrastructure to accommodate commuters is already in place in Augusta'', Walter Sprouse said, and the key will be maintaining it.