ARLINGTON, Va. – The anticipated expansion of missions and private-sector projects around Savannah River Site could require the surrounding region to build as many as 17,000 homes over the next five years, according to a local official here Tuesday.
Chuck Smith, a former city councilman in Aiken, S.C. where Savannah River Site (SRS) is located, said during a National Cleanup Conference panel that the growth associated with SRS and nearby projects will place significant demands on regional housing and infrastructure.
“In the next five years, we’re going to have to build 17,000 homes to build the management workforce,” Smith said. He also cited roads, hospitals, wastewater treatment, workforce training and subcontractor capacity as areas that will need to expand alongside the expected influx of workers.
Smith said the region is already seeing significant private-sector investment, including large data-center projects, adding to the infrastructure demands created by Savannah River Site’s expanding missions.
The region expects about 37,000 jobs to be filled over the next five years, Smith said to emphasize the scale of the anticipated workforce growth for the site. He called for greater coordination between SRS leadership and local governments to ensure infrastructure needs are addressed before projects move forward.
“We want to make sure that all those programs are in place,” Smith said.