Business View Civil & Municipal Apr-2023

60 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 4 between 13,000 to 14,000 residents. This housing boom may start to level off after decades of steep population increases, allowing more to happen within the community regarding industrial developments and manufacturing. Management at the City of Selma now estimates that the city will add three million square feet of industrial and manufacturing warehousing in the next five years. This rapid development will also bring better-paying jobs to the city and a considerable number of additional employment opportunities. Before the city boomed, most businesses in Selma were associated with the local horse racing track at Retama Park. The venue still hosts a number of events, including the Crawfish Festival. And going back further, during the 80s, Selma was known for its country dance hall called the Blue Bonnet (still open to this day), which helped launch many country star careers. During the late 90s, the town saw the addition of an amphitheater that has hosted internationally known artists and celebrities like Journey, ZZ Top, Willie Nelson, and a Barack Obama rally. The amphitheater was not in use for ten years after the original sponsors pulled out. Luckily this has changed, and the amphitheater is now called the Real Life Amphitheater, bringing performers back to the city, including Cody Johson and the Counting Crows. However, one snag is it was built before the housing boom, and now it is surrounded by housing developments. So far, the residents are still happy with the venue and its position, and when issues do occur they are dealt with appropriately. With its history of hosting musical events, officials from Selma reached out to the governor’s office to apply to be a Music-Friendly City. Late last