In June, Madison County officials released a report that out lined the projected growth for Huntsville, Al and the Tennessee Valley. This growth will be the result of the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) 2005 consolidations at Redstone Arsenal. Calhoun community college at the Decatur campus held a regional summit to unveil the Tennessee Valley Regional Growth Coordination Plan (TVRGCP). The impact of BRAC on 13 counties in northern Alabama and southern Tennessee was the highlight of the summit.

The 2005 decisions of the BRAC Commission will cause major economic growth in the 13 counties of the Tennessee Valley area over the next five years. Taimerica Management Company projected that the new missions at Redstone Arsenal and new contractor jobs will also require housing, create a need to educate more K-12 students, increase the need for a skilled workforce and create more demand on local government and transportation services.

It has also been estimated that population from non-BRAC growth will total more than 34,000 in the region between 2007 and 2012. When combined with projected BRAC growth of 19,700 job as and an increase in population of 37,000, the region should grow by a combined total of 33,000 jobs and 70,000 residents, mostly between 2008-2011.
Approximately $2,000,000 in new construction in the valley will be generated by BRAC over the next four years. Those projects will provide about 12,000 jobs at the heighth of construction in 2011. Construction work from this BRAC movement should end in 2012.

The study also projects that the 13 counties will witness a permanent increase of 19,700 jobs from the new BRAX missions at Redstone and the corresponding contractor jobs. Around half of the jobs are spinoff jobs outside of the contractor, military and civil service workforce. Approximately 22 percent of the jobs have already landed in the region as of January 2008. Between 2008 and 2011 the balance of 15,400 permanent jobs are expected.
In addition to the more than $1.1 billion of payroll this will bring into the region, it will also generate additional retail sales and sales taxes of various kinds.

For a full report of the executive summary go the website www.tvrgcp.com.

For information on purchasing or selling real estate in the Huntsville, Al and surrounding areas, call Linda Coons at 256) 694-9447 or contact her at www.lindacoons.com.