Face of Fayetteville Changing

Fayetteville, N.C. — Joseph Adamchzyk works for MPRI, a defense services company from Virginia that recently opened an office in downtown Fayetteville.

His company is one of many companies seeing the benefits the military city has to offer.

"Every place I went, they made it easy for us to get our basic operations established," Adamchzyk said.

With the U.S. Armed Forces Command moving to Fort Bragg as a result of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure, Fayetteville is ideal for military contractors.

The Armed Forces Command relocation also means nearly 25,000 people will move to the area around Fort Bragg, making it the largest Army base in the nation by 2011.

And city planners are on a mission to attract them.

"Armed Forces Command controls $30 billion annually out of the United State's defense budget," BRAC task force regional planner Donald Belk. "That move of FORSCOM will transform our regional economy."

An entire business park is planned near the post to house only defense contractors. And the BRAC Regional Task Force recently approved a new marketing strategy to bring those companies to the area.

In fact, task force members are already courting more than 500 companies that currently work with FORSCOM, to see if Fayetteville can meet their needs.

"Most military companies we've talked with are good-paying employers who offer high-quality jobs," said Phyllis Owens with the Cumberland County Business Council.

More jobs, mean more restaurants, more fine arts, and more retail opportunities. Add all that to a renovated downtown and the face of Fayetteville looks a lot nicer.

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Somebody seriously needs to start planning a highway or loop around Fayetteville too. Trying to maneuver from Bragg Blvd to All American Hwy down that little Santa Fe road is a nightmare. I saw a semi clip off a side mirror of a car yesterday trying to make a left turn there and he kept going. All the roads go in odd directions and none seem to have any synchronization. Traffic just doesn't flow well. And Skibo, Yadkin, and Raeford are soooo overcrowded with businesses. It'd be nice to see Bragg Blvd and a few others cleaned up with all those dilapidated buildings removed or remodeled. Maybe some businesses could relocate and ease the strain out of trying to pull in and out of parking lots.

choirgirl
May 20, 2007 7:07 p.m.

I suggest that Fayetteville start looking into some new schools to go up in the Spring Lake area. They could badly use a Senior High! The one they attend from there (Pine Forest) is over crowded. They need to keep up with the military demand and provide good schools for their children and the others living in the area already. My hat goes off to ALL these men and women and any help we can give them with their children will be appreciated by all.

cfam
May 19, 2007 9:32 p.m.

Since it got garbled with linefeed problems, and since someone wrote to me and asked what the apparent gibberish was, I'll try again.

If you were to ask most people what are the uniformed services in the US, they would name four. Some would remember the Coast Guard. But there are actually seven. And here are their mottos:

Marines: Semper Fidelis

Navy: Non Sibi Sed Patriae

Air Force: Uno Ab Alto

Army: This We'll Defend

Coast Guard: Semper Paratus

Public Health Service Commissioned Corps: Spes Anchora Vitae

NOAA Corps: Science, Service, and Stewardship

Steve Crisp
May 19, 2007 9:00 p.m.

I have always been proud to have been stationed in Fort Bragg and now with all of the modern buildings being built it makes me doubly proud.

My only regret is that now I am too old to enjoy living in the beautiful barracks or whatever they are called now.