Clayton County Is A Community That Enjoys Growth, Real Staying Power
Published Nov 03, 2008
Clayton County offers small-town vibe with big-city proximity.
No one ever doubted that Clayton County was crucial to Atlanta’s meteoric growth. As home to the world’s busiest airport, the suburban Georgia county has long been a gateway between the Big Peach and the rest of the world.
But this thriving cluster of seven cities is now an attractive destination for businesses and individuals in its own right.
Since 2000, the county’s population has soared 15 percent to more than 271,000. County officials have capitalized on the growth, selling the area as a hotbed of activity that offers companies unparalleled accessibility. The result has been an explosion of commercial, industrial and retail development.
Clayton County is convenient to Interstates 75, 85, 285 and 675 and a planned commuter rail line will run through several towns in the county.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, which ranks as busiest in the world for passenger traffic and takeoffs and landings, employs more than 55,000 people with a total payroll of $2.4 billion. The airport is also home to Delta, Delta Connection and AirTran Airways.
The Gateway Center, a 49-acre business and retail center, is under development adjacent to the airport in College Park. The $230 million mixed-use project will create 1.1 million square feet of office, retail and hotel space, including more than 500 hotel rooms and 75,000 square feet of shopping and dining space.
“It’s a good thing,” says Kevin Kern, president of Grove Street Partners, which is developing the site. “Major cities around the country with great airports have high-density development around them. Atlanta will have the opportunity to develop a great project in the Gateway Center.”
Across the county, 25 business parks operate at full capacity, 20 of which host Fortune 500 companies. Notable companies with a presence in the county include Clorox, Sherwin-Williams, Fresh Express and Toto USA.
Larry Vincent, chairman of the Clayton County Development Authority, calls the future of the county “unlimited and challenging.” The county and its cities will continue to grow at a steady rate, he says.
“I feel our future is bright and promising,” he adds.
Development officials work closely with individual towns to make sure their needs are met. Economic development and quality of life improve in tandem to ensure that rapid growth doesn’t eliminate the advantages that drew businesses and people in the first place.
“Our leadership stays focused on what is best for the county and their communities,” Vincent says. “Since business and community leaders are committed to maintaining a fine focus on the commercial and human assets that represent the strong foundation upon which Clayton County has prospered, the community will continue to be a great location to work, live, play and stay.”
Story by Michaela Jackson
Photo by Ian Curcio
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