Macon Telegraph; February 6th, 2006

Midstate shaping up to be a retirement mecca
Some say Middle Georgia could reap benefits from senior citizens' migration

By Wayne Crenshaw
Telegraph Staff Writer

When communities talk about recruiting industry, a little old lady driving a golf cart is probably not what most people would envision.

Yet "retirement industry" is a hot new term in Middle Georgia, and some business and community leaders believe it has potential to become a big part of the economic future of the area.

Baby boomers are on the cusp of retiring and looking for a quieter life away from the big cities, and hurricanes are apparently making Florida less appealing to some.

"Every time there's a hurricane in Florida, Perry's population grows," said Perry Mayor Jim Worrall, a staunch advocate of luring retirees to Houston County.

Houston Springs, which bills itself as "a 55-and-better active adult resort" is a rapidly growing retirement community in Perry. Managing director Jeff Moredock said the first of 10 "villages" within the 494-acre complex is about finished, and ground has been broken on two others.

With 144 residents already, about 15 houses per month are being built. That number could be higher, Moredock said, except that with all the growth in Houston County construction crews are in short supply.

Richard and Peggy Lewis were unpacking boxes at their new Houston Springs home Thursday. They had moved in the day before from their home near Ocala, Fla. The Lewises moved essentially for two reasons: to be closer to their daughter in Atlanta and to be in a milder climate.

"The hurricanes were getting worse every year," said Richard Lewis, 65, a retired arson investigator. They said five other couples in their Florida neighborhood are headed for Houston Springs. Having decided they didn't want to move their old furniture, their first order of business upon arriving in Perry on Wednesday was to visit Jesup Furniture Outlet and spend $20,000.

That sort of buying power is exactly why some people think luring retirees is as good for a local economy as luring a more traditional type of industry.

"These folks generally are friendly and able to buy what they want to buy," Worrall said. "It's going to be a big economic boost for this community."

Also, the mayor said, retirees put little strain on city services such as police, and do not add to the public school system.

While the Lewises came to Perry to escape hurricanes, John and Joshualyn Lovejoy moved to Houston Springs in August to escape the bitter cold of Michigan. A retired auto worker, John Lovejoy said they considered Florida and Arizona, but settled on Georgia, in part, because they would be within a 12-hour drive of family still in Michigan.

The Lovejoys like the plans for Houston Springs, which feature recreational opportunities and eventual development of a "downtown" retail area. They were getting ready to host a game of canasta when they stopped to talk Thursday.

"We really wanted to be somewhere with people our age," Joshualyn said. "That was important to us."

Worrall envisions all of Perry becoming a mecca for retirees, not just Houston Springs. The city, for instance, has a plan to build a network of golf-cart paths that would link Houston Springs, the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricultural Center and downtown Perry. That would alleviate traffic and pollution problems, Worrall said, while making Perry even more attractive to retirees. He thinks it's already pretty attractive.

"Perry, Georgia, is the ideal spot for older people to move to and retire," Worrall said. "You can leave Perry, Georgia, and set foot in the mountains or the ocean in less than four hours."

The Middle Georgia Regional Development Center seems to think that all of Middle Georgia can follow Perry's example. A study on economic diversification determined that the "retirement industry" is one of five areas that Middle Georgia counties should target for growth.

The study, released in August, recommended formation of a "regional retirement development council," but so far that hasn't happened, said Bob Rychel, an RDC specialist. The study found that Middle Georgia is ideally suited for retirees, who typically seek to locate in small communities that feature a quiet lifestyle, yet are within easy driving distance of a moderately sized city.

With the baby boomers retiring, and Florida's weather and traffic problems, Rychel believes the potential is huge for Middle Georgia to become the South's new retirement mecca. "The cost of living is reasonable," he said. "The weather is nice - you don't have to battle the sleet and snow. Weather-wise it's similar to Florida but you don't have the hurricanes."

Communities don't need to pony up a lot of money to position themselves as a retirement area, the study adds. To lure retirees, the study says, communities primarily need to focus on developing programs and activities for the elderly, and then some marketing would be helpful. And because retirees like to interact, it's important for communities to work together to make the broader area attractive to retirees.

One possibility, Rychel said, is construction of a regional welcome center aimed at retirees.

"Most of these efforts should be approached from a regional perspective," he said. "It's easier to market an area than it is to market an individual community."

To contact Wayne Crenshaw, e-mail wcrenshaw@macontel.com.

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