Civil Municipal Magazine Aug 2023

237 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 8 VI LLA RICA , GEORGIA huge amounts of resources,” McDougal says. According to Barber, Villa Rica is also looking to establish the location of a second industrial park to address the rising demand for new employers in that sector. The existing Villa Rica Industrial Park is less than one mile north of I-20. While there is warehouse space for lease at the existing industrial park, the rest of the park is currently full. “We have a big demand and (finding space for the industrial park) is one of our biggest priorities,” Barber says. Schools and colleges provide high-quality education and career development opportunities Villa Rica families send their children to the Carroll County School System, ranked among the top one-third of country districts in Georgia. Most elementary and middle schools in the city, along with Villa Rica High School, are at capacity with their student population. With no new schools planned, the city’s growth efforts need to consider that population, McDougal says. Students who do attend Carroll County schools in Villa Rica have the opportunity to participate in workforce development programs. Some of those programs have shifted their focus in recent years to trades where there is a high demand for jobs and great opportunities for good-paying, stable careers. “We do have several employers (in the city) willing to work with students to support their desire to work in the trades and blue-collar fields,” McDougal says. He adds that college or community college is a great option for some students, but that with an apprenticeship or technical trade knowledge, the city and Downtown Villa Rica