Henderson moves to top spot among fastest growing cities

      The phones at the Henderson Chamber of Commerce are ringing more than usual.
      Alice Martz is fielding calls from media outlets all over the country asking the same question: How did Henderson become the fastest growing city in the nation?
      "It's not an accident," the chamber's executive director said. "We've had to work hard to get there. Henderson realized a long time ago we couldn't be another Las Vegas. We knew we needed to diversify our interests, and we did."
      Statistics released Tuesday by the Census Bureau show Henderson's population grew by 88.4 percent from 1990 to 1996, an increase of 57,391 residents. That makes it the fastest-growing U.S. city with a population of more than 100,000, far outstripping Chandler, Ariz., the No. 2 city on the list, which grew by 59 percent.
      "We're being discovered by more and more people every day," Henderson City Manager Phil Speight said. "The moving vans are at our city limits."
      The numbers don't surprise Speight. In 1995, Henderson was dubbed the fastest-growing suburb in the country. Southern Nevada's booming economy helped take the community to the top, and Speight said the city's low crime rate and extensive park system make it a place people want to call home.
      City officials have long said Henderson is on its way to becoming the second-largest city in Nevada. Just this month, Henderson annexed 4 square miles of land being developed by Del Webb Corp., the first phase of a master-planned community expected to have more than 11,000 homes.
      "A lot of communities do not want to grow at this pace," Speight said. "But residents of Henderson are still satisfied with the services the city has been able to provide."
      Las Vegas was sixth on the list of fastest-growing cities, with a 46 percent increase in population during the six-year period. In 1995, Las Vegas topped the list of U.S. boomtowns.
      As a matter of statistics, Speight doesn't expect Henderson to maintain the No. 1 position in coming years. As the population grows, the percentage increases will become smaller. Las Vegas actually added 118,702 people to its population from 1990 to 1996, but since it's a city of 376,906, its growth by percentage was less than Henderson's.
      "We don't know if we'll get it again in '99," Speight said about the city's fastest-growing distinction. "We're getting to a size where percentages are not as great."
      Martz said growth will continue, but it won't be unchecked. The chamber will continue to seek out new business ventures for Henderson, but will also look to establish cultural and educational opportunities.
      "Twelve years ago, we were working hard to change our image as a smokestack community," Martz said. "I think Henderson has been pretty savvy."