Mayors Rusty Paul of Sandy Springs and Skip Henderson of Columbus joined the Politically Georgia podcast Wednesday to discuss their efforts to boost economic development in their communities.
Paul said Sandy Springs is rethinking how it approaches economic development following the pandemic and the state’s shift to recruiting industry for other parts of the state. The city has plenty of retail, but also a lot of empty office space.
“We are learning that people want experiences,” he said.
He said Sandy Springs is looking to expand its City Springs campus — which includes the Performing Arts Center — to offer more inviting workplace experiences for younger workers.
“(They) want to know what they can do after work,” says Paul. “CEOs want workers back in the office. Everyone is watching what UPS is doing. If they’re successful, that will begin to get things back to a normal place.”
Henderson, who is in his second and final term, says Columbus works with communities in Georgia and “across the river” in Alabama to attract companies.
“We have to collaborate with some of the surrounding counties if we want to be a player for economic development,” he said.
Credit: Photo courtesy of Columbus 2025
Credit: Photo courtesy of Columbus 2025
Henderson discussed the city’s efforts to attract microchip companies, such as the semiconductor manufacturer Micromize, which recently announced plans to locate there.
Both men also discussed the need for more thoughtful civic discourse.
“I think that somehow over the past 10 years or so the country has veered away from some of the things that made it such a great country, and that is how to disagree without being disagreeable, don’t look to win, look to negotiate, get to the middle, because that is typically where the best answers lie,” Henderson said.
Thursday on ‘Politically Georgia’: WIN List’s Melita Easters joins the show.
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