Business View Civil and Municipal | May 2021

75 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL MAY 2021 In addition, the county has more than 3,000 acres of industrial-zoned property along the Highway 9 corridor that runs east and west. The highway also provides an important connection to adjacent centers. The population of Chester County is only about 32,000 residents but it borders two fast growing Metropolitan Charlotte areas. “The two fastest growing counties in metro Charlotte are York County and Lancaster County,” Long explains. “Those are our neighbors, one to the north, one to the east. Both of those counties have grown more than 25 percent just since 2010. Growth is knocking at our doors, and to that end I think the population grows.” Of course, there is no guarantee that growth will spill over to Chester County on its own. That’s why local leaders have put the time in to prepare for a bright future. “I will say, as a community, a lot of work has been done to position us to where we are today,” Long notes. “I tell people I feel like I’m walking in the footsteps of giants. A lot of the projects I’m working on right now would not be viable options if that due diligence work had not already been done previously.” CHESTER COUNTY , SOUTH CAROL INA