North Jackson may see new development at former School for the Blind

State may sell prime property

Lawmakers to review possibilities for valuable former site of blind school

By Laura Hipp
lhipp@clarionledger.com

One of Jackson's most expensive chunks of land may be sold by state lawmakers by the end of the year.

The former site of the Mississippi School for the Blind sits on about 22 acres at I-55 and Eastover Drive - a location that makes developers salivate. A few vacant buildings, an administrator's house and a bus barn occupy the land.

About four years ago, the School for the Blind moved onto the same campus as the School for the Deaf, which is south of Eastover Drive.

A joint House and Senate committee will review possibilities for the site over the next four months. Talks begin at 10 a.m. today in Room 113 of the Capitol.

House Education Committee Chairman Cecil Brown, D-Jackson, lives in a neighborhood near the property.

If lawmakers decide to sell the land, the impact on traffic and the surrounding area will be factors for determining future use, he said.

"The whole point of the thing is we've got a piece of vacant property out there with a couple of abandoned buildings on it that is prime property in terms of frontage on the interstate," Brown said. "And what should we do with it?"

A combination of residential, retail and office use on the land would be ideal, said developer Mike Peters.

"That's one of the better parcels that's still available," said Peters, who has not inquired about the site. "What will make it attractive is you've got a blank slate."

When asked the site's potential value, Peters estimated a price of $8 million to $10 million and added his guess was conservative.

If the state sells the land, Jackson resident Lisa Davis wants the proceeds to go back to the Department of Education.

"If the Legislature is prudent about their asking price, that to me is some assurance that it will be a desirable development," said Davis, who lives nearby.

Eastover Neighborhood Association President David Sanders said the potential sale has not yet burned up the phone lines in his neighborhood.

"I'm sure the neighborhood would want there to be some planned development not just some helter skelter," Sanders said.

The tony Eastover where houses can reach $1 million only increases the potential for upscale development.

"I want to see something that contributes to the tax base and the quality of life in this city," said Rep. John Reeves, R-Jackson. "We've got to start attracting upscale first-class developments."

He said he can picture financial or medical offices, condos, or high-end retail like Highland Village a few blocks north on the land. He does not want apartments or a strip mall.

"We shouldn't do anything to hurt or detract from the beauty of the neighborhood or the value of the neighborhood," Reeves said. "If it's private development it could mean millions of dollars in taxes for the city of Jackson."

Sen. Walter Michel, R-Jackson, said he wants to learn every feature of the site before guessing its future use.

The land is zoned as a special use district, which is typical of public buildings, said Carl Allen, Jackson's interim director of planning and economic development. The designation could be changed.

City Council OKs Trolley Service for Fondren Neighborhood

System won't be subsidized by city; 75-cent fee planned

By Kathleen Baydala
kbaydala@clarionledger.com

SCHEDULE The trolley will run Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. A Web site for the service will be launched soon.

Before the weather turns chilly, shoppers in Fondren may be able to hop a trolley to get around rather than wrangle parking spaces.

Alan French, president of Real Estate Solutions, plans to start a trolley service in the neighborhood in the next six to eight weeks. The trolley, called The Fondren Express, will run a looping route from Fondren's central business district to St. Dominic-Jackson Memorial Hospital and the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

On Tuesday, City Council members unanimously granted a certificate to allow French to start up his transit.

The city will not subsidize the trolley system. Instead, French plans to sell advertising space on the trolley and charge passengers a 75-cent fee.

Ward 7 Councilwoman Margaret Barrett-Simon, who represents Fondren, said she thinks the trolley will be "a tremendous boost to businesses in the area."

French said he came up with the idea for a trolley while eating lunch in the neighborhood's business district.

"I noticed that so many different tables were vacant, but the parking lots were full," he said. "I thought it would be a great idea to get traffic into Fondren and help merchants succeed."

French said the trolley service also will provide another transportation option for area hospital employees and people visiting patients.

Buddy Graham, president of the Fondren Renaissance Foundation board, said parking has been a scarcity in the commercial district for the last five years.

"It's great to have a private enterprise come in and provide a service that is greatly needed," Graham said. "We've been trying to development (Fondren) into a more pedestrian area."

French said he's purchased one trolley and could order more in the future. While the trolley's exterior will have a "nostalgic" look, its interior will be air-conditioned and equipped with a plasma television.

JATRAN, which operates the city's public transportation buses, also runs a trolley service in Jackson. People can rent a JATRAN Steel Magnolia Trolley for transportation, usually during special events like weddings and proms, within the city limits.

The trolley will run Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. A Web site for the service will be launched soon. The URL will be www.fondrenexpress.com.

King Edward Groundbreaking on Tuesday

Bright Lights, Belhaven Nights

Greater Belhaven plans second “Bright Lights” festival

The streets of Belhaven will glow August 18 when “Bright Lights, Belhaven Nights,” the historic neighborhood’s annual arts and music street festival, once again celebrates one of Jackson’s oldest neighborhoods.

The event kicks off at 5:30 p.m. and is designed to promote the unique neighborhood, its people and businesses. Beginning at McDade’s and ending at New Stage Theatre, Carlisle Street will be “lit up” with some of Jackson’s best musicians, artists, craftsmen, actors, children’s events, Irish dancers, and food vendors.

“‘Bright Lights, Belhaven Nights’ is an opportunity to share our neighborhood and the Greater Belhaven Market’s wealth of artistic and musical talent in a festive manner,” said Dorothy Hawkins, chairman of the event. “There will be something for everyone to enjoy!”

Headliners include Living Better Electrically and Eric Stracener and the Frustrations. Many other exciting musicians are also appearing at Bright Lights including Bounds Street, and Jim Kopernak. A special stage is being set up this year to feature young indie rock bands, which will be selected by audition only. New Stage Theatre will feature musicians and vignettes from next season’s opening play, I Love You, Your’re Perfect, Now Change.

Plans for the children’s area include the Village Tattoo Parlor, “Hula Hoop Beach” and a variety of art-based activities, including an art show and auction for ages 12 and under

An array of food will be for sale from area neighborhood restaurants and chefs, and neighborhood organizations will be selling hotdogs and hamburgers. Beverages available for purchase will include a variety of soft drinks, beer, and bottled water. Wine will be available for a small donation.

Admission to the festival is $2.00 for those 13 and over; $1.00 for ages 12 and under.

Same Song, Different Verse

Entertainment venue opening at former Headliners complex

By Carey Miller
carey.miller@jackson.gannett.com

A multicomponent entertainment business is opening Wednesday at the Ridgewood Road location in Jackson that most recently housed the entertainment complex Headliners, which closed in June.

Called Choices, the business will include three restaurants and two nightclubs, much like Headliners offered.

“It’s going to be restaurants, a sports bar and nightclubs all wrapped up into one,” Choices owner Brian Baker said.

Two area restaurants, Miller’s Grocery of Jackson and Smokehouse BBQ and Wings of Brandon (that Baker’s father, Boo Baker, owns) will open new locations in the building.

The space will also house the Pressbox Sports Bar, The Blue Room dance club and Rain Live, a venue for live music.

Entergy supporting Capitol Green

JACKSON — Entergy Mississippi is involved in a unique public-private partnership aimed at raising the Jackson's profile called the Old Capitol Green project.

"We think that creating a new face for our largest city can have benefits for the entire state," said John Turner, director of economic development for Entergy Mississippi. "Because Jackson generally serves as the first impression visitors have of Mississippi, efforts to improve the capital city impact all Mississippians."

The goal of the Old Capitol Green project is to develop 16 blocks of the downtown area into a vibrant district offering cultural and recreational attractions that complement the city's historic and natural landmarks. The area has been re-designated as a Warehouse/Commerce Street Overlay District.

Phase one of the project will initially target an eight-block area south of the Old Capitol and the Pearl Street bridge, including the perimeter streets of State, South, Jefferson and Pearl.

The Downtown Jackson Partnership is spearheading the effort, with Entergy Mississippi acting as the private-sector facilitator to market and promote the area to potential developers. The intent is to find a master developer to transform the property into a mixed-use district offering space for businesses, residential apartments, parks, retail stores and entertainment.

The area's position on a bluff overlooking the Pearl River allows enough elevation to locate two to three floors of parking space under buildings, Turner said, and provide opportunities for good sight lines to proposed projects such as Festival Park and the Twin Lakes development.

Additional amenities include a walking trail connecting Belhaven and downtown, a cinema and pedestrian-friendly areas with generous green space. The development also ties into the new convention center, scheduled for completion in 2008.