Montgomery is home to state and regional governments, a major military installation, an extensive service industry, wholesale and retail trade and an industrial base including a major automobile manufacturer, all providing a well-balanced economic environment. Montgomery is also home to Air University, the worldwide center for Air Force education. The city's role as a regional trade center is firmly established, serving as a wholesaling and distribution gateway to the southeast in addition to the 22-county central Alabama area.

After decades of steady growth, Montgomery bypassed Mobile to become the second largest city in Alabama according to the 2000 Census Report. Every aspect of the Montgomery area is currently experiencing record growth and potential for even more new development. In 2002, Montgomery was selected as the site for Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA), which is projected to bring in an estimated 6,500 new jobs, including jobs from tier one and two supplier companies, translating into 15,000 to 20,000 new residents, according to Ken Groves, Director of Planning and Development for the City of Montgomery. Additionally, Montgomery's downtown and riverfront area is undergoing major revitalization, with projects including the construction of a riverwalk, convention center and hotel complex, and baseball and multipurpose stadium, among others. On Montgomery's east side, a major new shopping, business and residential development, EastChase, is being constructed on 300 acres over the next 10 years. Developers already have opened the Shoppes at EastChase in Phase I, which included a cooperative effort with City planners to put into place $15 million of infrastructure before ground was ever broken on the center. In addition, the market's premier enclosed shopping center, Eastdale Mall, recently underwent an expansion and redevelopment to total almost one-million square feet of shopping for this regional enclosed mall. Developers project a 17.5% increase in population on the east side between 2002-2006.

In partnership with the City of Montgomery, the Montgomery Riverfront Development Foundation and the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce have formed a vibrant alliance. These organizations are working together to realize the tremendous economic development potential of Alabama's Capital City Riverfront.

The plan for Montgomery's Riverfront renaissance includes a new convention center and adjacent four-star hotel in the heart of the Riverfront District, which are currently under construction. Developed by Alabama Real Estate Holdings, a portfolio company of the Retirement Systems of Alabama, the $53 million hotel overlooking the river will be located directly in front of the existing civic center, on Commerce Street between Bibb and Tallapoosa streets. The existing civic center is currently undergoing a $29 million transformation into a state-of-the-art Convention Center, with expanded meeting, exhibition and ballroom space, as well as the addition of a world-class performing arts center. Visitors and guests can meander from the convention center throughout the Riverfront District, with shops, restaurants, entertainment venues and loft apartments only steps away from One Commerce Street.

Led by Mayor Bobby Bright and the City Council, the City of Montgomery has been a major facilitator for the development of key anchor components within the Riverfront District. The new amphitheatre, stadium, riverwalk, and expanded convention center, along with ample parking facilities, provide the cornerstones for a thriving retail, residential and entertainment district. With a pro-business climate and focus on the future, Montgomery's Riverfront District represents one of the Southeast's most unique development opportunities.

Montgomery's downtown is the center for state, city and county government. Some 9,000 state employees work within walking distance of One Commerce Street and the Riverfront District. In addition, Montgomery is home to the Alabama Legislature, which meets annually, and often times meets more frequently in special sessions. Where there is government activity there is lobbying, and some 100 state business and trade associations, along with lobbying and governmental relations firms, reside in the capital city. Within five minutes of One Commerce Street is Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, employing 17,000 people.