Since the first time I pulled off of Interstate 85 and decided to make Auburn my home, construction has been an omnipresent feature of the Plains.
Whether on campus with the building of new parking decks, the Auburn Arena and the Shelby Center or off campus with road work and production facility construction, it doesn't seem to stop.
Right now, the hard hatted crews are focusing on repairing Glenn and Samford Avenues and constructing new residence halls and a General Electric Co. Aviation plant in the West Technology Park, however this will not be the end of it.
The new recreation center will continue to undergo construction into 2013, Sky Bar has begun adding on to its bacchanalian facilities and the slew of parking complaints will most likely lead to a haphazardly built, inconveniently placed parking deck somewhere around the edge of campus.
While all of this commotion is frustrating now, the truth of the matter is that this does nothing but help the city of Auburn.
The obvious positive result of this rebuilding effort is new facilities.
For a city that has consistently ranked in the top percentile for quality of life, these new buildings and roads should only add to the public's satisfaction percentage of 89 percent in 2012.
In addition, this year's satisfaction survey showed that only 58 percent of residents are happy with east-west travel in Auburn - such as Magnolia Street and Glenn Avenue - and 52 percent are satisfied with north-west travel such as College Street.
By continuing to expand and repave roads, Auburn's City Council is showing the public that their approval matters to them and, while it may hurt traffic flow now, the reconstruction will be a blessing to a college town plagued by game day and weekend traffic.
Lastly, the construction provides jobs.
Auburn posted the third lowest unemployment rate in the state this year at 5.6 percent.
The rebuilding efforts not only add consistent construction jobs, but the erection of facilities such as the GE Aviation plant and the Seung Chang Airtek facility last year are guaranteed to bring more jobs to the area.
Yes, the construction is frustrating right now.
I still forget sometimes that certain roads are closed, forcing me into time-draining detours, but the fact of the matter is that by the time its done Auburn will be better than before.
For an old town like Auburn, an infusion of the "new" is the key to the continuing expansion of this city and the satisfaction of its residents.
Changes of this magnitude take time, but the benefits will last even longer and pave the way for a better city in the future.
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