Andy Medici
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Is small-town American poised for a comeback?

Experts seem to think so. Or at least, the opportunity is there. Why? Because of a number of factors all happening at once.

It's time for small towns to shoot their shot.

Here's why
08:49 PM - Feb 15, 2023
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Andy Medici
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In response to Andy Medici.
The Covid-19 pandemic pushed many people away from coastal major metropolitan areas and toward cheaper suburbs or smaller cities. A mixture of a desire for space, affordability and rearranging of peoples lives all happened at once, and without precedent.
08:50 PM - Feb 15, 2023
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Andy Medici
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In response to Andy Medici.
Remote work has also given people unprecedented ability to work from anywhere. For the previous decade, rural america had lost population as older residents died and younger workers moved to where the jobs were.

But now the jobs can come with them.
08:50 PM - Feb 15, 2023
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Andy Medici
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In response to Andy Medici.
Manufacturing, once a similar story of factories in small towns closing up and moving away, has been given a shot in the arm. The pandemic has pushed many companies to "nearshore" to escape future bottlenecks.
08:50 PM - Feb 15, 2023
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Andy Medici
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In response to Andy Medici.
But Congress also passed hundreds of billions of dollars in various programs to retool existing manufacturing and generate new jobs in new industries - and a portion of which will directly benefit small towns. That includes the Infrastructure Act, the CHIPS act, the Inflation Reduction Act and more
08:51 PM - Feb 15, 2023
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Andy Medici
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In response to Andy Medici.
Take Mattoon, Illinois. Smack dab in the center of the state, Mattoon has seen its population slowly drop from about 19,700 in 1970 to about 17,000 today.

It has seen big employers close up shop and move, including a GE lighting plant in 2017 and LSC Communication's printing operation in 2020.
08:52 PM - Feb 15, 2023
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Andy Medici
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In response to Andy Medici.
Since becoming mayor, Rick Hall has launched an initiative to bring people back to the small town. That includes the planned $70 million Emerald Acres Sports connection, a 150-acre sports complex, complete with 140,000-square-foot field house.
08:52 PM - Feb 15, 2023
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Andy Medici
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In response to Andy Medici.
Mattoon is also working to build more housing, improve the streetscape of the town’s historic Main Street, offer a remote work incentive package of $10,000, prep the town’s train station for potential high-speed rail and entice manufacturing to return -with some success already.
08:52 PM - Feb 15, 2023
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Andy Medici
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In response to Andy Medici.
Mattoon is doing what many experts say small towns need to do to ride a wave that many believe is a one-in-a-generation chance to grow.

Focus on amenities, small downtowns and affordable living. Entice both companies and people working remotely to once again live there.
08:53 PM - Feb 15, 2023
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Andy Medici
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In response to Andy Medici.
And there is some evidence it is happening already: Fresh research from the University of New Hampshire School of Public Policy has found evidence that rural America is once again growing after a decade of population losses.
08:53 PM - Feb 15, 2023
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Andy Medici
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08:53 PM - Feb 15, 2023
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