Economy recovering?
Economists say that the recession officially ended a year and a half ago, and it’s possible that north Jefferson County communities are seeing a small amount of recovery.
The National Bureau of Economic Research announced recently that the recession actually ended in June 2009, although economists didn’t know it at the time. The 18-month recession was the longest since World War II.
Fultondale Mayor Jim Lowery said the city just approved its budget for the next fiscal year, and that there is evidence of recovery in it. He said the city had a boom year after the Promenade shopping center opened a few years ago.
“The finances leveled out for a couple of years after the boom… we were fortunate that we didn’t decline like a lot of cities,” he said. “I think money’s freeing up. The sheer energy that has come back is encouraging. Activity seems to be coming back, and that’s a positive sign.”
Several businesses have opened in Fultondale in the last year, including Murphy’s Oil and Eagle Fence Distributing LLC. An Applebee’s is scheduled to open soon, and Lowery said three or four other businesses have expressed interest in opening locations in the city.
The newest business in Fultondale is Five Guys Burgers and Fries, an award-winning burger restaurant that opened on Monday.
“The amount of business will level out after a while,” said Five Guys Manager David Hard amidst a restaurant full of customers. “But, I’ve been with the company for two years, and I’ve never seen a Five Guys have a slow period.” Five Guys is located on the far end of the Promenade Shopping Center near Ashley Furniture; Hard believes Five Guys will help the businesses located around it. He also said the restaurant had the potential to attract business from outside the city, and that many of the customers on opening day were from downtown Birmingham.
Recovery has been slower for other municipalities, but city officials said they are hopeful.
“We can see some recovery,” said Warrior Mayor Rena Hudson. “The sales tax revenue has had some increase, although it’s not dramatic. We’d like it to be a lot better, but we feel like we’re going to pull out.”
Two Warrior businesses expanded in the past six months: Launius Furniture added a new wing and a partnership with Flexsteel Industries, and Warrior city council member Brad Fuller moved his Brad’s Pools business to a larger building.
“I don’t know if we’ve seen it in Gardendale, yet, but business owners are expecting some recovery,” said Gardendale Chamber of Commerce Director Kris Marshall. She said the real economic indicators would come during and after the Christmas holidays.
One of the chamber’s strategies to encourage growth is its new “Chamber Checks,” which are only redeemable within Gardendale city limits. Marshall said they are intended to be purchased like gift cards.