Gary Fuller: City shows no signs of national economic crunch

While many parts of the U.S. have begun to feel the crunch of an economic slow down, the City of Opelika continues to show growth in commercial, retail and residential developments, with an unemployment rate that continues to hover between 2.6 percent and 3.1 percent.

On the industrial front, APR, an automotive software company is constructing a new facility off of U.S. Highway 280 that will be home to their design team and even have an on-site test track.

Our Northeast Opelika Industrial Park has been expanded to provide additional sites for industrial prospects, because Opelika’s location along I-85 between Hyundai and the new KIA plant has generated a significant interest in our area. Daewon America has completed its facility and has already begun to manufacture coils and springs for Hyundai and GM and will be ready to support KIA as well. Mando America recently announced a $21 million expansion in equipment and machinery to continue to meet the growing demand for its parts in North America. This equipment expansion will also require Mando to add additional employees. Gambro Renal Products, a medical device manufacturer that will produce kidney dialyzer filters, is nearing completion of its facility in the Fox Run Business Park. They are ramping up their employment with employees returning from 18 to 24 months of training in Germany to train the new workers here.

Commercially, building upon the great success of TigerTown, Exit 58 on I-85 continues to grow. The new Hampton Inn and Suites is complete and open for business. Construction for a Country Inn and Suites is underway as is Holiday Inn Express. TigerTown has added Kroger and a Dick’s Sporting Goods this past year. A Fairfield Inn is under construction, and there are plans for another hotel as well as a Kohl’s department store in TigerTown.

Just up the interstate, a major entertainment destination has been announced: Celebrate Alabama. This development will be on more than 530 acres and will contain an Expo center with hotels, restaurants, retail stores, walking trails and an upscale RV park. The groundbreaking for this development should take place during 2008.

As for growth, 2007 wasn’t the largest year the City of Opelika has ever had in overall development; it was the third largest growth year, with a year-end total of $129.3 million in total permits issued. Having said that, 2007 did represent the largest growth year the city has enjoyed in residential growth, literally quadrupling the number of homes under construction in one year, as compared to 2001. Our newest residential development, National Village, is really taking shape and promises to be an exceptional place to live.

While the growth and expansion of our community continues, I want our citizens and businesses to know that your city government is busy implementing an organized management of the city’s roadways, drainage systems and other networking issues to keep things running smoothly.

We have developed a long-term plan for making sure that the city’s infrastructure keeps pace with our growth and development. And we are applying good, sound business practices and principles in the way we conduct the affairs of our community, making sure that we utilize every tax dollar wisely.

The city continues to fight crime aggressively. The criminal element is not welcome in our community. To this end, I believe Opelika’s law enforcement has done an excellent job.
The city continues to look for ways to save our community money while remaining environmentally friendly.

Opelika’s financial position is sound, with healthy reserve levels. As we continue to grow, we will continue to manage that growth and look for ways to get the most for the money we spend. With your help, our community will continue to thrive and become one of the high points of East Alabama, while remaining a community we can be proud of and a place where everyone can live, work, worship and shop for years to come!

Gary Fuller is mayor of Opelika.