100,000 square feet of entertainment space to the city. “We’re trying to move this campus forward with infrastructure improvements,” Killingsworth remarks.“We want to give students a great collegial experience when they come to school here.” Jacksonville City Schools is also an important partner, as Superintendent Dr. Michael Barber illustrates,“We just had a Town and Gown event where officials from the city, along with JSU and the school system sat down and planned out the next quarter of the events going on, figuring out how we can work together and make things as seamless as possible.” He points out the recent completion of a multimillion-dollar track and stadium facility, noting that it has not only enhanced sporting events for the school district but also serves as an economic generator, drawing teams and visitors to the community. ECONOMIC GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT While education is a significant economic driver, Jacksonville is also expanding its economic base. Noting that the city is “more of a bedroom community,” Mayor Smith says Jacksonville is home to several employers, including Bear & Son Cutlery, KOAM, Parker Hannifin, and Carmine Industries. “A large part of the employment for us is folks working in retail,” he acknowledges. “Our sales tax is a big part of revenue for our budget. So, we spend a lot of time trying to attract retail to town and over the last few years have done a good job of that.” The thriving retail sector is seeing a surplus of new establishments, including Chick-fil-A, Starbucks, Rustic on Main, Lickin Good Donuts, and Whataburger. The city is also about to welcome a 219 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 05, ISSUE 07 JACKSONVI LLE, AL
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTI5MjAx