City of Tyler in a growth spurt

TYLER-The economic downturn has caused a population slowdown for many of the nation's biggest metro areas. But here in Tyler and other Texas cities the population continues to grow.

According to the recent numbers put out by the U.S. Census Bureau, Tyler's population grew by nearly 2 percent. Officials tells us the city's ability to remain strong in the wake of the national economic downturn has helped. The number of housing permits did take a hit for a few months, but the city is now seeing the number of permits increase once again. More permits mean more people. The recent report also shows other metro areas in Texas have also been able to keep growing thanks to strong economic climates.

"Tyler is uniquely poised because of all the natural assets we have here and I would expect us to continue to grow," Planning & Zoning Director Barbara Holly said.