Why doesn't Georgia have more than one tier 1 city? (Atlanta: how much, hotel)

[Georgiafrog]

Originally Posted by Columbus1985

Columbus is already a tier 1 city.

What?

[Columbus1984]

Originally Posted by Georgiafrog

What?

I agree. That's ridiculous.

[Georgiafrog]

Originally Posted by Vlajos

When did Atlanta hit 1 million? Isn't it like 500K?

Atlanta's metro is around 5 million.

[gtcorndog]

But Columbus has an Applebees. What else does it take to impress you guys?

[therealpattman]

Originally Posted by Mountaineer_195

Rank of probability of becoming a tier 1 city:
1.Columbus
2. Savannah
3. Augusta
4. Albany
5. Valdosta
6. Macon

How do you figure Columbus is the closest, I am sure Augusta has almost 200,000 more people than Columbus and Augusta is positioned to finally rise to another level. I know Columbus has Fort Benning but Augusta has Fort Gordon and the NSA. After the war is over the number of ground forces will decrease, how do I know this because I am in the military, however the number of comm and intel specialist will remain the same if not increased, there for Augusta if anything should and will be the next 1st tier. Savannah is close however the city will never give up its historical makeup. Augusta also has more room to grow and an airport that is growing fast and will hundreds of acres of land around will only need another airline which is on the way to blow up. Augusta is the next Raleigh.

[Columbus1984]

Originally Posted by dpatt.marine1

How do you figure Columbus is the closest, I am sure Augusta has almost 200,000 more people than Columbus and Augusta is positioned to finally rise to another level. I know Columbus has Fort Benning but Augusta has Fort Gordon and the NSA. After the war is over the number of ground forces will decrease, how do I know this because I am in the military, however the number of comm and intel specialist will remain the same if not increased, there for Augusta if anything should and will be the next 1st tier. Savannah is close however the city will never give up its historical makeup. Augusta also has more room to grow and an airport that is growing fast and will hundreds of acres of land around will only need another airline which is on the way to blow up. Augusta is the next Raleigh.

Columbus is already setting itself apart. From whitewater expansion, to Fort Benning's growth, the expansion of public facilities, etc. Columbus is booming. Found out the other day that Bass Pro is looking at several sites with a local development company. Cheesecake Factory has been tossed around. There are 2 huge retail developments in the works that have over 3 million sq. ft. of retail planned. All that depends on the economic recovery. There are thousands of apartment units coming out of the ground, road expansions, housing developments, etc. Columbus is truly setting itself apart.

[Big_Dave_Jones]

Columbus CSA - 450,000
Savannah CSA -425,000
Macon CSA - 400,000

CSA...


Augusta MSA alone - 550,000


But Columbus is the one setting itself apart? Seems like it's Augusta to me.

[Akhenaton06]

Originally Posted by dpatt.marine1

Savannah is close however the city will never give up its historical makeup.

Savannah wouldn't have to give up its historic identity in order to be the first among its in-state peers to reach the next level. Just look at Charleston which is larger and growing faster than any of GA's 2nd tier metros.

Augusta is the next Raleigh.

Not at all, but I do think it has a fighting chance to reach the next level over the other metros if things align in its favor.

[Akhenaton06]

Originally Posted by Columbus1984

Columbus is already setting itself apart. From whitewater expansion, to Fort Benning's growth, the expansion of public facilities, etc. Columbus is booming. Found out the other day that Bass Pro is looking at several sites with a local development company. Cheesecake Factory has been tossed around. There are 2 huge retail developments in the works that have over 3 million sq. ft. of retail planned. All that depends on the economic recovery. There are thousands of apartment units coming out of the ground, road expansions, housing developments, etc. Columbus is truly setting itself apart.

The thing with Columbus though is that apart from mandatory relocations coming from the feds, there is nothing that would cause people to move to Columbus in significant numbers. You can't count on a big BRAC decision to sustain growth long-term. Secondly, the city is at a disadvantage by not being located on a major interstate. That could change with an upgrade to I-185 though. Things could change in Columbus's favor and while it does have good things going for it, I don't see it leading the pack as far as making it to the next level over the other GA metros.

[Columbus1984]

Originally Posted by Akhenaton06

The thing with Columbus though is that apart from mandatory relocations coming from the feds, there is nothing that would cause people to move to Columbus in significant numbers. You can't count on a big BRAC decision to sustain growth long-term. Secondly, the city is at a disadvantage by not being located on a major interstate. That could change with an upgrade to I-185 though. Things could change in Columbus's favor and while it does have good things going for it, I don't see it leading the pack as far as making it to the next level over the other GA metros.

Having 30,000 new residents in a years time is like dumping nearly 600,000 people on Atlanta in one year, something that took almost a decade to do. Fort Benning will continue to drive growth as more military contracting companies set up shop in the Columbus area. Aflac, TSYS, NCR, and other companies in the area will continue to grow. Tourism is becoming a huge part of the Columbus economy. The National Infantry Museum saw 500,000 visitors last year. If I-14 and the expansion of I-185 happens, Columbus will be well connected. Whitewater is expected to bring over 100,000 people a year. This all brings tons of money to the Columbus economy which creates a trickle down effect creating the expansion of hotels, restaurants, retail, etc. Columbus is way ahead of the curve. 5 years from now you won't even recognize the city. You need to come down for a look.