Growth helped define Las Cruces' growth

LAS CRUCES (AP) - It's been a decade of growth for the city of Las Cruces and Dona Ana County.

Retirees continued their migration to Las Cruces, capitalizing on the lower cost of living and pursuing quality of life improvements - including things that many longtime residents hadn't given much consideration to.

Development of a commercial spaceport near Upham; White Sands Missile Range's ability to survive and ultimately prosper from a Base Realignment and Closures process; a massive influx of Army soldiers into the region that spilled into Dona Ana County; the shift of rail services from El Paso to Santa Teresa and that community's continued industrial development, were but some of the events that facilitated growth.

Lifelong residents of Las Cruces say they've seen it transform from being a sleepy town to a full-fledged city.

Information from: Las Cruces Sun-News