Take a minute to view this video on the roadmap of Greater Fayetteville Futures.

In 2001, the Greater Fayetteville community was economically stagnant.  More people were leaving the area than were moving in. Our young people, even the college-educated, could find only limited opportunities to work in Fayetteville and Cumberland County.  A group of local leaders came together, determined to create a movement that would change the community’s future for the better.  This was the beginning of “Greater Fayetteville Futures.”

The group identified three distinct and important goals: develop a unified vision for economic development; leverage the military presence to create local economic development opportunities; and improve the image of Greater Fayetteville.  All three were ambitious and bold goals.  Hundreds of local citizens from diverse backgrounds across Cumberland County spent thousands of volunteer hours developing strategies and action items directly related to these goals. It was this aspect of Greater Fayetteville Futures, the inclusion of everyone, which insured its success.

Over the last several years great results have come from all of these goals.  The Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) legislation provided us the catalyst for the next steps.  Over the past two years several studies and organizational strategic plans have been completed to include the BRAC Regional Task Force’s Growth Development Plan and the Chamber of Commerce’s Pathways to Possibilities.   These studies and plans gave us a framework that identified specific actions that Fayetteville and Cumberland County needed to accomplish to be prepared for BRAC and continued transformation of the community.  Hundreds of residents from across the community organized into separate modules provided input into these studies and plans.

Greater Fayetteville Futures II is the execution of those community based plans.  Greater Fayetteville II has engaged broad-based representatives from all segments of the community including city and county government, the military, local health care systems, business and cultural organizations.  The effort is an open process facilitated in a professional manner that will help ensure success.  It will include dozens of community action groups working the action item identified in the multiple studies completed in anticipation of BRAC. 

Greater Fayetteville Futures II is the opportunity to change a community in several important areas including public safety, education and workforce development, transportation, health care, cultural opportunities and the environment.  This effort provides an action plan and community playbook to transform this community for BRAC and beyond.