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.