Mayor Battle touts economy, growth in State of the City address
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Mayor Tommy Battle gave his State of the City address this week, and covered some of the hot issues that the Rocket City faces as it continues to grow and remain Alabama’s largest city.
Battle addressed the city’s economy, jobs, population growth and even announced a pretty cool music festival for the city during his presentation.
Here are some highlights:
State of the City highlights
Battle delivered his 15th State of the City address, and focused primarily on what makes Huntsville a great place to live.
Some key points to the State of the City address:
- Tourism in Huntsville is up, with the Rocket City receiving 3.9 million visitors in the last year, with a $2.1 billion impact.
- Huntsville’s capital investment stands at $70 million over the last year, $175 million ove3r the last five years, and a projected $200 million over the next five years.
- Redstone Arsenal has generated more than 100,000 jobs in the Tennessee Valley, and had a $27 billion economic impact on the city.
- The aerospace and defense industires are booming, generating a $5.6 billion GDP.
- The city has seem 5,300 housing units permitted, a $730 million total investment.
- More than $900 million has been invesed in Downtown Huntsville construction.
- More than $630 million has been invested in commercial construction in the city over the last year.
- Huntsville’s unemployment rate stands at 1.7 percent.
Higher education in Huntsville
Battle also addressed the success that Huntsville institutions of higher learning have enjoyed over the last year. In fact, Battle noted that among the University of Alabama in Huntsville, Alabama A&M, Oakwood University, Calhoun Community College and Drake State, approximately 60,000 students are enrolled in local colleges and universities.
Also, more than 1,300 graduates from local schools have aerospace and defense degrees.
You can watch the Mayor Battle’s State of the City address here.
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