Brynn Grant
LCDA
What are Liberty County’s greatest threats? What are our greatest opportunities? What kind of experience do we want business, industry, residents, and visitors to have here? Who do we want to be?
Now is the time for answering those questions and more.
There are many entities responsible for community advancement and we are grateful for collaboration among them all which is vital to any success achieved. For our part, the Liberty County Development Authority (LCDA) is kicking off our strategic planning process and asking the community for input.
The location of Hyundai and the expansion of the Ports of Savannah and Brunswick are generating the most significant growth this region has ever seen. And it is coming to Liberty County. Much is already underway.
I know some have mixed feelings about growth and development. I have deeply rooted feelings, too, having grown up here. I cherish the close-knit community that shaped my life, the giant live oaks I have sat under, the rivers and salt marshes where I spent some of my best days. Liberty County’s environment is one of its treasures.
There are only a few ways to affect how land will be used. Owning the land is the greatest, and many owners face real economic pressures to turn their investment into profit. Few can hold and maintain land undeveloped indefinitely. Planning matters a lot, and that is where an opportunity to influence exists.
Frankly, Liberty County needs development. We need more housing. We need more industrial investment with well-paying jobs. The poverty rate in Liberty County is 16%, which is 3% higher than the state average. On top of that, as much as 29% of households are Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed (ALICE), meaning adult members of those households are employed, sometimes holding more than one job, but still not able to make the most basic household survival budget work. Research, made possible by United Way of the Coastal Empire, tells us that 45% of Liberty County households live below the ALICE threshold.
The LCDA exists to create, grow, and attract investment and jobs to increase the standard of living for all residents. It has done bold and innovative things ahead of its time in years past, like partnering with Fort Stewart, Liberty County, and the City of Hinesville to create the MidCoast Regional Airport; and with Liberty County, the City of Hinesville, and the Liberty County Board of Education to locate a Savannah Technical College campus here. LCDA invested to build and operate the water and sewer infrastructure necessary to attract industry that brings new money and jobs to the area, installed and maintain the lights at Exit 76 on I-95, and developed an environmentally thoughtful and aesthetically focused class A industrial park, Tradeport East.
On this foundation, we are now planning for the future, and need everyone who lives or works in Liberty County to participate. Please take 8-10 minutes to respond to our survey then share it with your friends, family, and associates.
Working together, we can strike the right balance among many diverse yet related interests. We can create opportunities that improve quality of life for more people. Business support and attraction are integral and things like education, environment, recreation, art, and culture matter. Join the effort by scanning the QR Code to access the survey.
Brynn Grant is the CEO of the Liberty County Development Authority.