a further boost to the town’s economy. “They have to find a place to move, and they have been looking at the Smyrna Airport as a new home,” Santucci discloses. “If that happens, it will be transformational for the Town of Smyrna. It’ll bring an additional 400 to 800 employees every day, and when they do their drill weekends, we could see as many as 1,200 people coming on a weekend. It’s a long-term project, and it still has a lot of planning and execution to do, but we are in talks with them, and we would welcome them to the community.” Local enterprises are another major contributor to Smyrna’s economy. “We talk about these big industries, but the heart of our town is our small businesses, which are our community’s backbone. Here in the town, we have 2,100 businesses, and 64% of our business community comprises small businesses,” boasts Mayor Reed. “They do so much to add to the quality of life here in Smyrna, for events and participation in anything we do.”Vanessa Haley,Vice President of the Smyrna Independent Merchants Association (SIMA), continues, “The small business community is really reaching out and connecting, being a large part of the community and making themselves seen.” An area known as the Depot District, centered around a historic train depot, has been instrumental in revitalizing Smyrna’s downtown, solidifying its reputation as a go-to place. Santucci recounts,“That area is slowly growing into what I would call a really cool, hip vibe. We’re getting a lot of little niche restaurants and small businesses, including some restaurants based in the Nashville area, coming into 244 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 05, ISSUE 12 SMYRNA, TN
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