Hub City ranks top in nationwide list
JACKSON, Tenn. — A national publication has highlighted the Hub City as being the top in an unexpected area.
An article from 24/7 Wall St. states that the Jackson metropolitan area is the fastest growing area in the United States.
The article lists and analyzes numbers such as population growth and employment rates.
24/7 Wall St.
“The article is great. It gives a lot of positive attention to Jackson and our metro service area. And so as we look forward for what’s coming for Jackson and West Tennessee, I think it brings that national attention to the great things that are going on here,” said Jackson Mayor Scott Conger.
Mayor Scott Conger says, historically, the large jump in population most likely came from the addition of Crockett County and Chester County to the metro statistical area. However, Jackson’s growth can also be attributed to the attention of Blue Oval City, Georgia-Pacific’s over $400 million dollar investment and the possibility of the Great Wolf Lodge.
“We’re going to continue to see that trajectory continue to grow and see our population grow pretty substantially over the next 10 years, I believe,” Conger said.
With so many coming into Jackson, having enough housing will become a major concern. So the city has recently completed a housing study that will detail projected population growth and areas of focus.
The city will also begin creating housing by repurposing unused land within city limits.
As for policy, Jackson is one of only 34 cities in the country that doesn’t have minimum parking requirements. This means that large stores can use less area for parking, thus opening up space.
“I think housing is an issue, but also quality affordable housing is an issue as well. And so, how do we bridge that gap for someone who doesn’t get assistance from affordability to attainability? And so we’re looking at ways to do that,” Conger said.
Conger also said that state legislature created a law in 2013 that prevented cities form forcibly annexing, so even though the city is growing, it’s unlikely the borders will expand.
“If we were to annex, it has to go to a referendum ballot. It has to get two-thirds approval. So if you’re going to somebody and saying, ‘Hey, we want to annex you, bring you into the city, and pay city and county taxes, need you to vote for it.’ They’re not going to do that. So I think what we’re going to have to focus on is infill, how we develop in our city boundaries, in our city limits,” Conger said.
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