2 min read March 2023 — Invest: spoke with Jeffrey Turner, chairman of the Clayton County Board of Commissioners, and discussed the county’s advantages as a great place to live with a strong presence in the rapidly growing logistics and manufacturing industries. “With our infrastructure, geography, and appetite for growth, it’s an easy sell,” he said.
What have been the major highlights for Clayton County over the past year?
At the Gillem logistics center in Forest Park, a movie production studio is being built and will be one of the largest Black-owned film studios in the state. We opened our international water park and it has become a destination location for the region. We’ve additionally renovated the amenities that accompany the park, including a comprehensive trail system that is used extensively by residents and visitors. The county has also gotten traction with our Mountain View development whose acreage is across from the airport, which is a prime opportunity. A logistics center has been built on this plot of land to kickstart the development. This will be a great opportunity for companies to build hotels and restaurants along with class-A business space. The county has grown to over 300,000 citizens and our residential building permits are up, especially for multifamily and executive housing.
What are the economic challenges unique to Clayton County?
Having the world’s best airport is an interesting conundrum for Clayton. We are in a unique position because Atlanta owns the airport even though the airport is located in Clayton County. That means by state law we can’t collect property tax on it, so we miss out on millions in tax revenue. On the flipside, by having the airport here it spurs economic development and tourism to immense degrees. There is a lot of history and leisure here that we can advertise around the airport and it’s been a huge plus to our economic development, especially for the Mountain View area. Companies are looking more at Clayton as a location for their headquarters expansion, much like how Porsche built a facility here. It’s a big incentive for businesses having the access from the airport to the amenities Mountain View will provide, and we’re primed for more development.
How has Clayton County been able to leverage federal infrastructure funds?
The pandemic spawned a lot of innovation in our school district in terms of internet access, which put mobile hotspots in buses that would be parked in neighborhoods to provide more connectivity to students. We’ve been able to enhance our fiber optics network because of the federal infrastructure bill, which will make a huge difference for a lot of homes and their broadband access. It’s a countywide effort to make this happen for Clayton County.
Our goal is to always be business-friendly and we want to see great development here. To get what we want, we know we have to give. We provide tax breaks to incentivize businesses to come here, including employee tax credits to boost hiring and to support small businesses’ bottom line. It’s been a great recruitment tool as we have more space for businesses to move in. But with our infrastructure, geography and appetite for growth, it’s an easy sell.
What is your assessment of housing in Clayton County?
Clayton County has a diverse housing inventory with many of the homes being single family, older homes. We truly want to accommodate families from all economic and social backgrounds and that’s why we have diverse housing options available throughout the county. The older stock must be more affordable for those who have been here for decades because we don’t want to disenfranchise them. Meanwhile, there has to be affordable options for younger families who are just getting started. Homes are getting more expensive, and what compounds the issue for a lot of people is that the qualifications to purchase are getting more stringent. It’s extremely difficult right now for a lot of folks and we need to address this hardship. In the long term, we want people to own homes because we want them to invest in the county and those opportunities need to be more accessible.
What industries are you expecting to see the most growth in the region?
We have a big emphasis on tax breaks for companies looking to relocate here. Logistics will be a key driver. With the world’s busiest and most efficient airport being in our county, it’s logical to expect further growth and expansion as it relates to the airline industry. Also, with four major interstates cutting through the county, we have prime real estate for distribution and supply chain industries. Whether you’re heading south or into the Northeast, you’re more than likely to pass through Clayton County. That geography makes the most sense for logistics companies. Manufacturing will also play a major role because of this geographical advantage. With the deepening of the Savannah Port, everything going North will likely come through Clayton.
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