City economy grows with its people

Jacksonville may have been bumped recently from the top 10 list of the state's largest cities in 2007, but growth is still on the upswing.

In 2006 Jacksonville was listed as the 10th most populous city with a population of 74,516. Data released by the U.S. Census Bureau mid-summer lists Jacksonville's population as of July 1, 2007, at 74,614 bumping it down to the 11th most populous city behind Greenville whose population of 76,058 nudged it into the number 10 spot.

The city is, however, growing in relation to per capita income.

Jacksonville ranked 157th in the nation out of a list of 363 metropolitan areas. From 2006 to 2007 there was a 7.8 percent increase, according to information released August 7 from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Jacksonville's average income in 2007 is listed as $34,282, up from $31,942 in 2006.

"I think the important thing is that we grow at a rate that we can handle efficiently. Not that we try to compete with other areas," City Manager Kristoff Bauer said.

Development within Onslow County also affects the city.

"We have a huge amount of development that's occurring out in the county rather than growing inside the city limits," Bauer said, adding that 11,500 people live near the Piney Green area. "Those are people that live in urban density in the county, contiguous to the city limits. If we had those 11,500 people within the city limits we'd be 10 if not 9 (most populous city). It's not that we're not seeing growth, it's that growth has happened within the county, and that's a different challenge," said Bauer.

The county's tourism industry is also seeing signs of progress.

"They're building two (hotels) as we speak (in Jacksonville) and I just got word today that another one has come on board in Jacksonville," said Onslow County Tourism manager Theresa Carter. "We're growing to the extent that hoteliers are recognizing that and realizing that we need more rooms."

The highly talked about influx of military personnel expected in eastern North Carolina should also help boost the local population. A projected 11,477 military and department of defense civilian employees - plus their dependents - are expected by 2011 at Camp Lejeune, New River Air Station and Cherry Point combined, said Thomas Gaskill, vice president and executive director of the Military Growth Task Force.

"Eastern North Carolina and specifically Jacksonville and Onslow County are forecasted to get substantial growth through the next three to five years," Gaskill said.

In addition to the actual increase, there will also be some induced growth, he said. Induced growth is an increased demand for additional goods and services as the result of an increase in population which brings more people and industry to the area.

"New River and Lejeune combined with the increase in military and induced growth, and those that were forecasted to come here based on current trends - we know that there's going to be substantial growth," Gaskill said.

Even though more people are expected to arrive, requests for building permits, however, have actually been down for the last year.

Reginald Goodson, planning and development services director for Jacksonville said the planning division has seen a decline in building permits from 2007 to 2008.

"There was more growth in 2007 than we're seeing right now but we do anticipate that to increase in the future due to the military population we're expecting to get," he said. "We still have growth but not at the level we were seeing in 2007."

Bauer said that may have to do with the city's sewer capabilities - or lack thereof.

"I think the other challenge is we've had a constraint on our sewer availability which hopefully we'll be out from under here pretty quick," he said.

In the end, Bauer said dropping out of the top 10 doesn't affect much.

"I don't think it impacts anything at all," he said.

Contact Jacksonville/Onslow government reporter Molly DeWitt at 910-219-8455. Visit www.jdnews.com to comment.