61 replies to this topic

[ATLman1]

Since LaGrange is right up the road from Columbus I figured I would create a topic on this fast growing city. LaGrange is a city of 26,576. It is located in Troup County which has a population of 62,015. LaGrange has 292,139 people in the 7-county area (excluding Muscogee County). Kia is being built along I-85 which will bring thousands of high paying jobs to the LaGrange/Columbus/Auburn/Opelika triangle.

[ATLman1]

Major development for LaGrange:

The development is called Magnolia. Magnolia will have its own downtown, retail, school, parks, retail, offices, and live-work units. It will consist of:

Over 400 total acres
1257 Single Familiy Homes
1015 Town Homes
532 Multi-Family Units
500,000 Square Ft. Retail/Commercial
115 acres of Parks & Open Space
Community Center
Lake harbor.
30,000 square foot pedestrian harbor downtown.
Playgrounds, neighborhood squares, tennis courts, nature trails, and bike paths.
Fishing pier
Olympic swimming pool
Lake-side amphitheater
Arts center
Soccer field

Go to Magnolia Development and then click on Ridley Lake Development Site. Scroll down until you see the link for Magnolia. The site has lots of information on this massive development.

Edited by ATLman1, 09 November 2006 - 09:39 PM.

[ATLman1]

LaGrange Readies New Industrial Park:

Parcels To Be Heavily Marketed to Kia Suppliers

LaGrange council members have approved plans to annex some 2800 acres of land into the city to build a new industrial park.  The new industrial park will be built near LaGrange-Callaway Airport -- it's expected that the parcels inside will be heavily marketed to businesses that will supply parts to the new Kia plant just down the Interstate in West Point.

[ATLman1]

Carmike Cinemas, based in Columbus, is set to open its new Carmike Cinemas 10 theater in downtown LaGrange. The theater is set to open sometime before Christmas. Here is the article from the LaGrange Daily News New Theater

[ATLman1]

The Settings of West Point Lake, a 228-lot subdivision planned for the Liberty Hill community, should begin construction soon. It will be built in three phases with 88 lots in the first phase.

[ATLman1]

Lafayette Parkway Growth:

Starbucks, Moe’s Southwestern Grill and Longhorn Steakhouse have pegged Lafayette Parkway for development. At least two other large retailers are looking at the area, but are not yet ready to confirm plans. Lafayette Parkway also will be the new home of LaGrange Toyota. The facility across from the Troup County Recreation Center, which will be 35,000-square-feet larger than the current one on Hogansville Road. Also, a new Chevy Dealership is being constructed in the new Mill Creek Station development.

[DaltonGA]

LaGrange is one of my favorite Georgia towns. Traditionally a cotton mill town, like my hometown, Dalton, and of similar, though slightly smaller size. A trip into LaGrange will allow anyone to gain the perspective it was one of the more important cities in Georgia at the end of  World War II. The downtown is fairly large for a city of its size, LaGrange College, West Georgia Medical Center and buildings such as the "Pink Palace on Dallas" that is a legacy of the Callaways, are among some of the most impressive features of this town. The Laniers, Bennetts, Callaways and Millikens made major contributions to the region.

I'm glad that LaGrange and Troup County are once again growing. The declines in the 50's and 60's caused LaGrange to lose its stature in Georgia and since the 1970's has had an impressive comeback, but the growth has been slow and steady. Kia will kick up the growth a few notches as will the ever encroaching Atlanta. LaGrange is close enough to Atlanta, Columbus, Auburn-Opelika and Montgomery to really tap into the potential along I-85 and I-185. It's large enough to stand on its own without losing its identity to the surrounding regions. There is still an economic imbalance in the area, with blacks mostly being left out of the economic resurgence that LaGrange has experienced since the 70's. LaGrange is in a Combined Statistical Area with Atlanta and neighboring Lanett, AL, so with Kia at West Point and Atlanta exurban escapees arriving, Chambers County, AL and Troup County will see see alot of the imbalance eliminated.

[ATLman1]

Interesting article from the LaGrange Daily News about traffic improvements in the city:

Quote

Over the next 30 years, the county’s population is expected to double to about 113,500, and “it is important to recognize this growth and the substantial demand for a high-quality transportation system,” according to the 134-page report, which was put together by HNTB Corp. of Atlanta at the behest of the DOT, Troup County and the county’s three cities.

Three public hearings were held during the study, and “that’s where a lot of the plan comes from,” Emery said.

“We plan to petition the DOT to fund and build projects that follow the plan,” Emery said, noting that the highest priorities are on state routes because they have the most traffic.

In September, voters ap-proved a special-purpose local-option sales tax that includes an estimated $58.4 million for transportation improvements. DOT Commissioner Harold Linnenkohl has pledged a 75 percent match of those dollars “subject to available funding.”

The sales tax would first be used this summer to build an asphalt plant because the material can be used for all the other projects and reduce costs by an estimated 30 percent to 40 percent, Emery said.

Davis Road widening projects – two and four on the priority list – are not in the DOT work program “so we’ll be concentrating on getting them into the program,” Emery said.

The priority list calls for a complete loop around La-Grange to lessen traffic in the city’s downtown.

First-phase construction of the two-lane South Loop is expected to begin this summer, going from the end of Pegasus Parkway into the Callaway South industrial site near the airport. The second phase picks up Old West Point Road and crosses West Point Road to Roanoke Road.

At that point, the North Loop would begin, going around the northwest side of LaGrange and ending up at Mooty Bridge Road, where it would tie into the road that goes by Franklin Forest Elementary School.

Another priority, widening West Point Road from Vernon Road to Upper Glass Bridge Road, is “desperately needed,” Emery said, because it will be a major route for employees at the pending Kia Motors auto plant in West Point.

“We want to push the DOT to move forward with it,” Emery said. “We’d like to see it extended all the way to Gabbettville Road or in the Kia vicinity.”

Widening the two-lane section of Vernon Street would have too great an impact because “we’d have to displace homes and businesses all along” the road, Emery said. But he said it would be a “a great idea” to pair Vernon and Broad streets as one-way thoroughfares.

In addition to roads, the study addresses bicycle and pedestrian improvements, freight, transit, railways and the airport. It goes into exhaustive detail, pointing out that LaGrange was “named for the ancestral home of Revolutionary War hero Marquis de Lafayette.”

In preparing the study, HNTB spoke with city and county officials and representatives of the business community, school board, West Georgia Technical College, LaGrange-Callaway Airport, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Callaway Foundation, 100 Black Men of West Georgia, Keep Troup Beautiful, Milliken & Co., Golden Bike Shop, West Georgia Flyers, the county Emergency Management Agency and District 4 Health Services.

The study recommends more bicycle lanes and sidewalks, and suggests the local governments explore the possibility of transit service, particularly to Atlanta and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, a train to Atlanta and regularly scheduled buses.

[ATLman1]

LaGrange's Population is Exploding:

Troup County's population on July 1, 2006 was an estimated 63,245, compared to 58,779 in 2000. The pace of growth is still modest - 7.6 percent compared to 5.8 percent - but surveyors of the housing and development markets predict major growth on the horizon.

Major New Developments:

Developers have already hit the early market, with big residential developments in the works in LaGrange like the 400-acre Northpointe, 23-acre Mill Creek Station, 300-acre Bryant Lake and 400-acre Magnolia developments along or near the Davis Road bypass. Those and other proposed developments are expected to double the number of houses in the city alone.

Edited by ATLman1, 31 March 2007 - 07:41 AM.

[eastcentralalabamateen]

ATLman1, on Nov 9 2006, 10:15 PM, said:

Since LaGrange is right up the road from Columbus I figured I would create a topic on this fast growing city. LaGrange is a city of 26,576. It is located in Troup County which has a population of 62,015. LaGrange has 292,139 people in the 7-county area (excluding Muscogee County). Kia is being built along I-85 which will bring thousands of high paying jobs to the LaGrange/Columbus/Auburn/Opelika triangle.

Exactly which counties are included in this 7-county region? I was guessing that Chambers County in Alabama is part of that region and I'm still confused about Randolph County being included in that region, since both Randolph & Chambers Counties both border Troup County.

[eastcentralalabamateen]

ATLman1, on Jan 29 2007, 10:15 AM, said:

Lafayette Parkway Growth:

Starbucks, Moe's Southwestern Grill and Longhorn Steakhouse have pegged Lafayette Parkway for development. At least two other large retailers are looking at the area, but are not yet ready to confirm plans. Lafayette Parkway also will be the new home of LaGrange Toyota. The facility across from the Troup County Recreation Center, which will be 35,000-square-feet larger than the current one on Hogansville Road. Also, a new Chevy Dealership is being constructed in the new Mill Creek Station development.

LaGrange is really growing a lot. I've recently seen the Mill Creek Station construction and the area where Starbucks, The Home Depot, Moe's, and the Verizon Wireless store are at.
Do you have any pictures of these developments?

[ATLman1]

eastcentralalabamateen, on Jul 29 2007, 09:47 PM, said:

Exactly which counties are included in this 7-county region? I was guessing that Chambers County in Alabama is part of that region and I'm still confused about Randolph County being included in that region, since both Randolph & Chambers Counties both border Troup County.

Welcome to the Columbus forum! That is a really good question! Even though this is more than 7, I consider the Columbus region to include

Georgia: Muscogee, Harris, Troup, Marion, Chattahoochee, Meriwether, Talbot, and to some extent Upson

Alabama: Russell, Lee, Chambers, and Macon

Randolph might be a little too north, but I am sure the Columbus region influences it some. Please keep on posting!

eastcentralalabamateen, on Jul 29 2007, 09:56 PM, said:

LaGrange is really growing a lot. I've recently seen the Mill Creek Station construction and the area where Starbucks, The Home Depot, Moe's, and the Verizon Wireless store are at.
Do you have any pictures of these developments?

I don't have any pictures, but I am sure this will be quality development. Do you know of anything else being built in that area?

[eastcentralalabamateen]

ATLman1, on Jul 30 2007, 01:46 PM, said:

Welcome to the Columbus forum! That is a really good question! Even though this is more than 7, I consider the Columbus region to include

Georgia: Muscogee, Harris, Troup, Marion, Chattahoochee, Meriwether, Talbot, and to some extent Upson

Alabama: Russell, Lee, Chambers, and Macon

Randolph might be a little too north, but I am sure the Columbus region influences it some. Please keep on posting!


I don't have any pictures, but I am sure this will be quality development. Do you know of anything else being built in that area?

All I know is that theres another place going up beside the CB&T, more outparcels between the new Charter Bank and The Home Depot.
I think that there may be more restaurants, a few more hotels, or stores like Target or Best Buy that could be coming in between I-85 and the North Davis Road intersection

[aboutmetro]

How are folks in Lagrange/Troup receiving the government's moritorium on new development?  Do folks think it will really be temporary to allow the county to get its zoning act together, or will it become policy, like it did in Harris County?

[ATLman1]

aboutmetro, on Aug 1 2007, 01:09 PM, said:

How are folks in Lagrange/Troup receiving the government's moritorium on new development?  Do folks think it will really be temporary to allow the county to get its zoning act together, or will it become policy, like it did in Harris County?

LaGrange/Troup County is welcoming the new growth. They want planned growth. LaGrange has taken off here in the last 5 years. Troup is much more welcoming of new developments than Harris County. However, HC is changing, especially with the approval of The Grove. I think once they see the economic benefits of development that Muscogee and Troup County are seeing, Harris County will embrace growth.

[eastcentralalabamateen]

What would you like to see built (and/or annexed) in the LaGrange-Troup County areas? (retail, road improvements, etc.)

Here's my list:

1. add Best Buy, Target (LaGrange wouldn't probably support a SuperTarget),Nordstrom (or Parisian), Ross,etc.
2. add 1 more middle school in LaGrange area
3. building more hotels in and around LaGrange (Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott, Sleep Inn, Homewood Suites by Hilton, etc.)
4. Davis Road loop
5. building more Starbucks locations
I'll add more to the list later

[ATLman1]

Two Automotive Suppliers to Create Jobs in LaGrange
Pretty Products, DaeLim USA to create a total of more than 200 jobs

ATLANTA- Governor Sonny Perdue announced today two automotive suppliers will create a total of more than 200 jobs in LaGrange in preparation for the Kia Motors plant that is being constructed in nearby West Point.

“Georgia continues to be a magnet for automotive suppliers in the wake of last year’s Kia announcement,” Governor Perdue said. “Our strong workforce and low cost of doing business make it good business sense for automotive manufacturers to choose West Georgia.”

Ohio-based floor mat manufacturer Pretty Products will expand its current production in LaGrange, creating an estimated 130 jobs and investing $6.5 million. A newly formed corporation purchased both Pretty Products Inc., located in Coshocton, Ohio, and LaGrange Molded Products Inc. earlier this year and will add the jobs over the next two years to the current workforce of 210. The company is in the process of upgrading the current facility to manufacture rubber floor mats for the automotive industry.

“We decided on LaGrange because it’s cost effective to do business here, our facility has the latest in extrusion technology and the availability of a qualified workforce,” said Jeff Willis, chairman and CEO of Pretty Products. “We’ve also been impressed by the potential to expand even further. With Kia locating just down the road, we hope to take advantage of the growing market here.”

Also today, DaeLim USA is announcing that it has selected LaGrange as the location for a new manufacturing facility. DaeLim USA plans to construct a 90,000-square-foot injection molding and assembly plant on a 25-acre parcel of land in the Jim Hamilton Industrial Park. The automotive components facility is scheduled to start operation in mid-2008 and expects to employ 75 people.

DaeLim USA is a division of Illinois Tool Works, Inc., an Illinois-based global manufacturer which operates thirteen other divisions in Georgia. DaeLim USA’s new facility will bring ITW’s employment in Georgia to approximately 700.

DaeLim USA and Pretty Products join Hyundai Mobis as automotive suppliers announcing locations recently in West Georgia. Hyundai Mobis announced in August that it will locate a facility on the Kia site in West Point, creating 600 jobs and investing $60 million by 2010. The Kia facility, its first in the U.S., is scheduled to begin production in 2009 and produce 300,000 vehicles a year.

[ATLman1]

LaGrange hospital starts expansion

West Georgia Health System in LaGrange broke ground Thursday on its South Tower facility in a project expected to cost $65 million.

The 130,000-square-foot facility on the south side of the hospital campus is designed for vertical expansion and will accommodate up to 192 beds in the future. It will feature a 24-bed Intensive Care Unit, cardiovascular center, labor/delivery and mother-baby center, and Emergency Department.

The groundbreaking marks the first phase of construction of the four-story hospital, the company announced. This project should be completed in 2009.

All patient rooms will be private and include wireless computer access and a place for family to stay. The main lobby will include an enhanced reception area, gift shop and coffee shop and will open into an outdoor garden park.

The facility will be built by McCarthy, one of the nation's oldest privately held construction companies and leading hospital builders that was founded in 1864. The company is 100 percent employee owned and has offices in Atlanta and eight other U.S. cities.

Ellerbe Becket's Washington, D.C., Healthcare Design Studio is leading the design process, using a number of local Georgia consultants. The company was founded in 1909.

KLMK Group LLC is providing independent, professional advice in the planning and development.

"The South Tower expansion represents a significant milestone for West Georgia Health System," said President/CEO Jerry Fulks. "The new facility will enable the health system to offer Troup County residents the latest, most advanced care close to home and for many years to come. We are grateful to employees and community members who have supported our hospital project and our efforts to transform health care for west-central Georgia."

Edited by ATLman1, 04 October 2007 - 01:37 PM.

[mahanakorn]

ATLman1, on Aug 2 2007, 12:15 AM, said:

LaGrange/Troup County is welcoming the new growth.

When I was in LaGrange last month visiting the parents, a recent arrival who has opened a restaurant on Main Street told me the following joke:

Q:  How many LaGrange natives does it take to change a light bulb?
A:  Change!!!  We like our old light bulb just fine!

This pretty accurately reflects the attitude of most of the natives (people I grew up with) to new growth and impending changes.  More recent arrivals (I've been away for 30 years) might be more welcoming.

[ATLman1]

Water-bottling plant to open in LaGrange

A bottling plant for spring water and other noncarbonated beverages is scheduled to start production in February in the LaGrange Industrial Park.

Garden of Nectars purchased a little more than 8 acres at 2 Yasafuku Place for $144,000 from the LaGrange Development Authority to build a 30,000-square-foot plant.

Groundbreaking ceremonies are scheduled for 3 p.m. Nov. 8.

“We’re looking to have enough business to operate the plant at least two shifts with about nine to 12 employees per shift,” CEO Percy Jones Jr. said Tuesday.

The minority-owned company will ship the water to LaGrange in 6,000-gallon stainless steel tankers from a spring in the Juniper community of Talbot County. The spring, located on the 47-acre Kelly estate, generates about 57,000 gallons per day and “we can bottle 80 percent of that,” Jones said.

The plant also will bottle “functional” beverages, in-cluding Smash Iso, Diva Premium Teas and a series of Sweet Georgia Nectars that use muscadines from south Georgia. Private labels and custom packaging will be available.

The beverages, formulated by Romeo Toledo, a re-tired food scientist at the University of Georgia, will be sold at grocery stores and other retail establishments throughout the Southeast.

LaGrange was chosen for the bottling plant because of this area’s projected growth, Jones said.

“Needless to say, with the Kia plant coming and other things coming, it appeared to be a great location for a bottling plant,” he said. “It also offers great shipping lanes, and LaGrange is a nice, friendly town to be in.”