Next High Growth Area In and Around Columbus

[ATLman1]

What do you guys think will be the next area that will see significant growth in the next 5 years? Columbus is running out of land fast. What areas (inside and outside of Columbus) will grow the fastest?

[mitchella81]

What do you guys think will be the next area that will see significant growth in the next 5 years? Columbus is running out of land fast. What areas (inside and outside of Columbus) will grow the fastest?

[gah]

Would have to agree that close-in would have to be the FlatRock/Midland area. That area is still relatively sparsely developed -- and has some very pretty scenery. I hope that it does not all get paved over.

I dont get to southside much but I guess that St Mary's is due for redevelopment/infill resulting from BRAC

There are several other closer-in areas that are ripe for redevelopment -- mid-town

Think a lot of BRAC-growth will go to Lee County -- more than anticipated now. And Auburn-Opelika are really about to blossom in their own right. I am maintaining my prediction (hope) that Columbus-A/O-LaGrange will become more and more like the Research Triangle in NC. Maybe not in 5 years but eventually

I also agree that revamp of Victory Drive is nothing short of amazing. A long long way to go but a really great beginning and the future is promising.

[coyotetrickster]

What do you guys think will be the next area that will see significant growth in the next 5 years? Columbus is running out of land fast. What areas (inside and outside of Columbus) will grow the fastest?

[Zumthor]

I was in Columbus recently, visiting an old college friend (and I grew up on Ft. Benning and spent a few years at Columbus College -- Now CSU, I know). There is so much empty land in Columbus proper that I don't understand why this question would even come up. My friend owns a couple of houses along Broadway in the Historic District. We walked around and I was struck by all the space. The entire area around the old Lummus Mills (South of the area where Wynton Road comes into the old downtown area, the RC Cola Plant) was positively pastoral. You guys have a golden opportunity to create a truly unique and charming city on some genuintely impressive historic bones. The old street grid has some great, great potential. Don't blow it by equating sprawl with development.

[aboutmetro]

Harris County has restricted growth. Their present and future land use plan shows 2-acre minimums south of GA 315, and and incredible 5- to even 20-acre minimum lot sizes north of GA 315. With those policies depressing growth to the north, most growth will go west to Alabama. The old idiom, rooftops follow roads, and retail follows rooftops. Alabama has the vast bulk (over 50%) of workforce-priced housing... WTVM story on related topic

Until someone really visionary commits to a major intown mixed-use type development, new residents will be forced west. There's much open land east and south. But without infrastructure, it will remain rural. If some of these areas get wastewater treament facilities, some of them may begin to grow. The town of Buena Vista has a sewer system, and it's not far to Fort Benning from there, but it's pretty far to shopping and other community services. With a little tide, though that could be a growing area.

With Opelika-Auburn and Kia on the GA-AL border, I predict that the Lee Rd 379 and U.S. 280 will become the hottest growth area in the next decade.

I read it somewhere in this post that Troup is slowly being 'absorbed' by Atlanta, and that's true. That county should be folding in more or as much with metro Columbus, but since Columbus can't grow north in a normal, free enterprise fashion (where the market dictates residential sizes and styles instead of gov't policies), Troup will probably be lost to Atlanta. The way things are now, Columbus' and Phenix City/Lee County's fates are more tied together than other areas in GA.

[ATLman1]

Harris County has restricted growth. Their present and future land use plan shows 2-acre minimums south of GA 315, and and incredible 5- to even 20-acre minimum lot sizes north of GA 315. With those policies depressing growth to the north, most growth will go west to Alabama. The old idiom, rooftops follow roads, and retail follows rooftops. Alabama has the vast bulk (over 50%) of workforce-priced housing... WTVM story on related topic

Until someone really visionary commits to a major intown mixed-use type development, new residents will be forced west. There's much open land east and south. But without infrastructure, it will remain rural. If some of these areas get wastewater treament facilities, some of them may begin to grow. The town of Buena Vista has a sewer system, and it's not far to Fort Benning from there, but it's pretty far to shopping and other community services. With a little tide, though that could be a growing area.

With Opelika-Auburn and Kia on the GA-AL border, I predict that the Lee Rd 379 and U.S. 280 will become the hottest growth area in the next decade.

I read it somewhere in this post that Troup is slowly being 'absorbed' by Atlanta, and that's true. That county should be folding in more or as much with metro Columbus, but since Columbus can't grow north in a normal, free enterprise fashion (where the market dictates residential sizes and styles instead of gov't policies), Troup will probably be lost to Atlanta. The way things are now, Columbus' and Phenix City/Lee County's fates are more tied together than other areas in GA.

[mitchella81]

You know it's been a few months since we visited this topic, but driving around town now I still belive the Flatrock/Gateway area is about too become a commercial boom area, but I really think south Columbus is about to see a surge of economic growth in the service and retail industry as well as the housing area. There are several apartment and housing areas under construction now with others proposed primarily along the South Lumpkin road area. The Baker Village demolition has finally started and is moving quickly. I have heard rumors that there are several new resturants and hotels looking to locate near the national infantry museum. This is in addtion to the ones we already know about that are under construction or soon to start which include A Fairfield Inn at Victory Drive & South Lumpkin road, The 2nd building at the Value place. The Extended stay on Victory, A Holiday Inn Express near Heritage Corners. There is new developments in that area from Cussetta Road to the River/Ft. Benning. The signs are really true "A New Day is Dawning for Columbus South".

[mrpnut]

You know it's been a few months since we visited this topic, but driving around town now I still belive the Flatrock/Gateway area is about too become a commercial boom area, but I really think south Columbus is about to see a surge of economic growth in the service and retail industry as well as the housing area. There are several apartment and housing areas under construction now with others proposed primarily along the South Lumpkin road area. The Baker Village demolition has finally started and is moving quickly. I have heard rumors that there are several new resturants and hotels looking to locate near the national infantry museum. This is in addtion to the ones we already know about that are under construction or soon to start which include A Fairfield Inn at Victory Drive & South Lumpkin road, The 2nd building at the Value place. The Extended stay on Victory, A Holiday Inn Express near Heritage Corners. There is new developments in that area from Cussetta Road to the River/Ft. Benning. The signs are really true "A New Day is Dawning for Columbus South".

[ATLman1]

I agree about the flatrock/gateway area. Has anyone heard anything else about the swift property. That property seems to be the piece of the puzzle that is ready to explode. That is alot of land that could be home to a really nice retail center.