Retired Centralia City Grade School Superintendent Tom Hawkins feels the city is in the position to attract new residents just like how he was attracted to the city to begin his teaching career in 1978. He shared his thoughts at the Greater Centralia Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner last week.
Hawkins says the strong medical community is still there and while the railroad and a number of thriving factories are gone, he now sees a real spirit of entrepreneurship that has resulted in the development of Castle Ridge and the Westside business area as well as the revitalization of downtown.
“Coffee shops, restaurants, downtown winery, entertainment venues, and places where people can meet and collaborate and these not only bring jobs and revenue but think about it. They offer quality experiences that make life more enjoyable for the people in this town. So we are hopeful that these kinds of upscale businesses as well as the affordable cost of living in Centralia, high-speed internet, and the availability of many to work remotely from home, are all going to be incentives to all work together to bring young people to town, more millennials, more Generation Xers, and even the Baby Boomers among us who are still ambulatory”.
Hawkins also pointed to the city’s parks, both Raccoon and Centralia Lake, being within an hour and a half of St. Louis, Amtrak, South Central Transit, and more than 15 annual events as more positives many communities can’t offer. He admits there are challenges including severe poverty and homelessness.
“I believe the answers to our challenges are to be found within ourselves. In the strengths we already have as long as we continue to collaborate, think outside the box and try to make life better for everyone who lives here.”
Hawkins also counts diversity as one of the city’s greatest assets and noted its importance for children to grow up in the same cultural setting they will be part of as adults.
