Time for a little quiz… over the next five years, according to demographic analytics from ESRI, which two age group segments will experience the greatest population gains in the Collierville community?  Tic..Tic..Tic..no cheating!  Give up? Based on recent data pulled from the Town’s ESRI data base, the 65 to 74 age group, ie: retired baby boomers and the 25 to 34 year millennials, will both add the greatest numbers to the growing population in Collierville.  People concerned with their 401K performance coupled with folks focused on their smartphones – you can’t get any more diverse then that!   Second queSTion… where will Collierville’s development growth come from over the next 5, 10, 15 years?  Think about this: in the last five years, the Town has issued over 700 residential building permits.  Our residential base, the backbone and foundation of our premier community, drives everything – schools, churches, retail, safety, parks, trails, healthcare, INFRASTRUCTURE, economic development.  Housing starts will continue as we have an abundance of developable land with zoning appropriate for single family housing.  In addition to our strong residential base and the availability

of residential land, we have over 600 acres of developable land zoned for office, over 400 acres of developable land zoned for commercial uses (shops, restaurants, services) and another 350 plus acres of developable land zoned for industrial applications.   Very few municipalities in the region can offer such a variety of opportunities.  As I write this piece, Helena Chemical will soon cut the ribbon on the 52,000 square office building that Boyle has developed in Schilling Farms for Helena’s Southern Business Unit.  Orgill will soon break ground as construction begins on their 100,000 square foot corporate headquarters.  CCL Label, in partnership with Korsini SAF, is building an 85,000 square foot high tech in-mold label printing facility in the Progress Road Industrial Park, in Collierville’s strategic southeast quadrant.  Zaxby’s, Brooks Pharm to Fork, Frida’s Mexican Restaurant and 148 North are developing unique restaurants that will satisfy all of the culinary wishes of our community.  As referenced previously, residential construction, from The Square to the northwest side of Town, from Byhalia south to Shelby Drive west, is brisk.  Concurrently, we have major projects either underway or near completion in ALL market segments.  This type of economic diversity is critical towards the long term sustainability of a community.  This activity is what will continue to fuel and fund our Town. As reported in the last issue of TourCollierville, from an ethnicity perspective, Collierville is uniquely diverse.  Our percentages in many ways mirror national averages.  ESRI reports that our Town is 75% White, 15% African-American, 8% Asian with the Hispanic and Indian populations making up the remainder of our profile.  Our remarkable demographics make Collierville very appealing to retailers and business owners with the added benefit of being a regional hub as well!  Diversity is key towards a strong, healthy and vibrant community.  As our Town moves forward, diversity of families, from the millennials to the baby boomers, diversity of economy, from the corporate headquarters to the fast casual restaurant and diversity of ethnicity, will be what sustains us and allows us to thrive as the most well rounded community in the region