Some nice words from the Birmingham News:
The biggest obstacle, ALDOT, the overall effect of this is bigger than any auto or steel plant, so build the infrastructure!The same issues are taking place in the Columbus/Phenix City AL area, which will have an even bigger influx.
KENT FAULKNews staff writers
HUNTSVILLE - A four-county region centered on Huntsville is preparing to absorb 30,000 or more new residents who could move to the area as the federal government adds work to Redstone Arsenal.
That's the equivalent of absorbing a city - and its school, roads and housing needs - bigger than Homewood.
The surge is driven by the expected 12,504 new federal, contract and support jobs, according to one study, from a military realignment that is to send new operations to the Army post.
The Base Realignment and Closure moves were approved in 2005 to transfer 4,700 jobs by 2011. Federal, state and local officials say the actual gain will be much higher and it has driven a frenzy of preparations.
Among them:
Building at Redstone Arsenal and moving costs for the military organizations are estimated at $651 million. One building alone for the Missile Defense Agency is expected to cost $223 million.
More than 16,000 residential lots have been approved in the past several years for development in Huntsville. Among the new street names: BRAC Circle.
Local school systems are expanding plans to handle the growth of the school population. An estimated 700 students from an early trickle of BRAC-related moves are already in local school systems.
Huntsville officials believe they'll need $122 million extra for roads over the next 25 years because of BRAC.
"It's going to be a big influx of families into this north Alabama region," said Lynn Kilgore, executive director of the Huntsville Madison County Builders Association.
Tanjie Kling, a Huntsville city planner, said a recent University of Alabama study shows that 12,504 jobs are expected to be created by the BRAC moves in Madison, Limestone, Morgan and Marshall counties. That includes 4,700 direct military jobs with an average salary of $70,000 being transferred, plus contractors and subcontractors who would likely choose to move to the area, Kling said.
The people filling those jobs would have families, and the average household in the area has about 2.5 people, Kling said. That would equate to 30,000 or more people.
Developers and homebuilders say they are already seeing an increase in the number of new homes since last year.
But most attribute much of that to Huntsville's already booming economy rather than BRAC workers who have started to come to town.
In Madison County the number of new home building permits went up 32 percent, from 2,941 in 2005 to 3,877 in 2006, according to permit numbers provided by the research firm MarketGraphics of North Alabama in Madison.
In nearby Limestone County, permits went from 765 in 2005 to 861 in 2006, a 13 percent increase, according to the firm.
Too many houses?:
But there has been some overbuilding in certain high price ranges, $500,000 or more, real estate agents said. There is also more construction on speculation.
"We're seeing more spec houses right now than we ever dreamed we would see," said Joe Murphy, a land developer who also owns MarketGraphics.
The number of real estate agents to sell the land and homes also has dramatically increased since the BRAC announcement. Membership in the Huntsville Area Association of Realtors is growing by as many as 50 a month, said Betty Hughes, president
Some real estate agents and developers expressed concern that builders could build too much and have houses sitting vacant for a long time. Kilgore, of the builders association, said she doesn't believe it has reached that point.
Builders are monitoring the BRAC situation, she said. "I don't think there is a doubt in our minds that we will be able to house these people when they come in."
Building is proceeding at a steady pace rather than a rush, local real estate agents and developers say, in part because it will be nearly four years before most of the jobs will be transferred.
Some Army officials estimate that when the positions are transferred to Redstone, about 30 percent or workers would move with their jobs. That means the jobs will have to be filled by people from other places.
Pam Rogers, a spokeswoman for the Missile Defense Agency which has had offices in Huntsville for years, said the agency is planning nationwide recruiting to fill any vacancies among the 2,248 jobs it is moving to Huntsville. That's so the agency doesn't take engineers away from companies already in the Huntsville area, she said.
The agency has already been slowly moving jobs to Huntsville under BRAC, Rogers said. As people are hired they are sent directly to Huntsville or sign an agreement to move, she said.
"We're trying to plan the arrival of people down here so we don't overwhelm the community or infrastructure," Rogers said.
E-mail:
kfaulk@bhamnews.com
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