Banks and Food and More!

GOLDEN TRIANGLE REGION, MS – Courtesy of the Dispatch and Grant McLaughlin

COLUMBUS

The Bank of Commerce has announced that they will be opening up a new branch in Columbus next year. It will be located inside the former Cadence Bank at 3601 Bluecutt Road, near the Mi Toro Mexican restaurant. Demolition and renovation work has begun on the structure, which will feature two drive-thru lanes to better service its customers.

STARKVILLE

The Aldi grocery store in the Triangle Crossing Shopping Center at 607 Hwy. 12 is currently scheduled to open on December 15th, pending the arrival of some overdue electrical infrastructure components. They had originally planned to open sooner.

Poor House Homestead Market, 2241 Old Hwy 25 S., is under new management, and they plan to reopen with room for some new vendor types in addition to those they already have, including BBQ food offerings. No firm date has yet been announced. Luke Sellers says that “It’s honestly multiple dreams coming true at once,” he said.” I took a chance and called when it was available to lease, and it never felt more right from that moment on.”

Please click here for the original article: https://cdispatch.com/news/2022-12-08/goings-on-with-grant-new-bank-of-commerce-branch-to-open-on-bluecutt-road/

Elm Lake Golf Course Up for Sale; Sweet Peppers Ribbon Cutting

COLUMBUS, MS – Courtesy of the Dispatch & Grant McLaughlin

The local golf course at Elm Lake is going up on the market. The grounds, course, and amenities at 1609 Taylor Thurston Road is now up for sale for $1,295,000. Interested parties can find information about the property at crexi.com.

Sweet Peppers Deli, located at 2017 Hwy. 45 N. recently reopened to serve plenty of happy customers after being closed for renovation for about a month. The venue now features a drive-thru on the North side of the building and a self-serve kiosk for those who prefer using that method. On Wednesday afternoon, Dec 7th, they will be holding a Grand Re-opening celebration and ribbon cutting at 4pm, which is open to the public. The Deli has been around for about a quarter of a century.

Tony and Jennifer Hannah have announced plans to open Barksdale Catfish Lakes at 130 Hillcrest Drive in East Columbus in the former Public Catfish Lakes location. “We want to keep the tradition going,” Mr. Hannah said. “This is a lake that a lot of kids have come to and had so many stories about, and we wanted to build on those stories and have new stories.” They will be open from March through November.

Columbus Inns and Suites at 506 Hwy. 45 N. is under new management and will be remodeled into an “extended stay” hotel courtesy of its new owners, Choice Hotels. The new name will be Suburban Studios, and they plan to remain open until further notice even as the renovations are going on.

Please click here for the original article: https://cdispatch.com/news/2022-12-01/goings-on-with-grant-sweet-peppers-deli-now-reopened/

CSO Plans to Build Indoor Soccer Facility

COLUMBUS, MS – Courtesy of the Columbus Soccer Organization

The Columbus Soccer Organization (a MS non-profit/501(3)(c)NP) has announced a capital campaign as part of their plan to build an indoor soccer facility here in town. The organization serves many towns in the Golden Triangle area, accepting donations of gently-used soccer equipment and distributing them to players in need; they also offer scholarships and engage in other charitable work.

They are looking for a location in Columbus proper to remodel to suit their purposes: An indoor soccer facility; the nearest existing venue of this kind is over 200 miles away in Cordova, TN. The facility would offer a place for players to learn, practice, and play soccer regardless of weather conditions, and there are also plans to allow it to be sued for other activities such as team parties, birthday celebrations, and other community events. This would also make it easier to facilitate play for youths with special needs.

In preparation for this, they have been conducting studies on matters such as feasibility, member interest, potential locations, for nearly two years. They are hoping to raise at least $250,000 in this initial funding push (10 months); this would be used to purchase a building and begin work on renovations.

Downtown Eyesore sells to Suburban Studios, Extensive Renovations Expected

COLUMBUS, MS

The Columbus Inn & Suites, located at 506 HWY 45 (next to the old Magnolia Bowl), has just sold to Choice Hotels. Signage on-site indicates that the dilapidated property will be remodeled and rebranded under the “Suburban Suites” banner, offering extended stay rooms. The timing couldn’t be better for Columbus, as news of the $2,000,000,0000 Aluminum Dynamics factory coming to the prairie and a possible development deal for a Columbus Redevelopment project at Burns Bottom both broke recently. Here’s a brief description about the hotel brand:

“Suburban Studios, a next generation extended stay product from Choice Hotels, offers developers access to the extended stay category through flexible conversion options. Suburban’s “Longer Stays Made Easy” philosophy provides value-conscious, long staying guests with friendly service and clean, spacious guestrooms equipped with in-room kitchens. Guests have access to free high-speed internet, 24/7 laundry facilities and bi-weekly housekeeping. There are more than 70 Suburban Extended Stay Hotels open, with 27 Suburban Studios in the pipeline.”

It’s Official!

COLUMBUS, MS – Courtesy of the Commercial Dispatch and Grant McLaughlin

We recently reported on a major cash incentive that many hoped would bring more business to our area; as of yesterday, it will be doing just that! The state passed a package on Wednesday that will help to bring $2.5 billion worth of projects to the GTR area. As a result, Steel Dynamics will be building a biocarbon facility beginning this year and plan to finish by the end of 2023, bringing in 40 permanent jobs. They also plan to construct a new flat-rolled aluminum mill starting in 2023; it should be completed in 2025, and bring in 700 new jobs to the area. This is in addition to the years’ worth of a planned 30 thousand construction jobs needed for these projects. Details can be found at the link below.

Please click here for the original article: https://cdispatch.com/news/2022-11-03/quarter-billion-dollar-incentive-package-passed-for-new-sdi-aluminum-biocarbon-projects/

The new Triangle Crossing shopping center in Starkville held its ribbon cutting ceremony today!

Info and pics courtesy of the GT LINK.

STARKVILLE MS –

The new Triangle Crossing shopping center in Starkville held its ribbon cutting ceremony today! Info and pics courtesy of the GT LINK. It’s an exciting day in the Golden Triangle! The ribbon cutting for the Triangle Crossing shopping center was held this morning. The center will generate 200 jobs and $35 million in sales and property tax. Many thanks to developer Castle Properties and Rise Partners for helping our community grow! Read more here https://gtrlink.org/news/article/236 #retail

State Gearing up for Potential Thousand-Job, $2+ Billion Project Expected to be in Golden Triangle

JACKSON, Miss. (Courtesy of WCBI) –

Governor Tate Reeves recently announced a major new capital investment project which could bring a thousand new, $90K+ pay jobs to the state – and possibly to the GTR area. A massive corporate tax break package worth $2.5 billion is expected to pass soon, though the recipient company has yet to be announced. The special session to consider this project will take place Wednesday morning. There is speculation that Steel Dynamics, which already has a Lowndes County location, might be one of the candidate companies, as they have been looking to invest in new factory capacity.

Please click here for the original article: https://www.wcbi.com/gt-area-anticipates-largest-economic-development-project-in-history/

Ganja and Renos and Hairstyles, Oh My!

GTR AREA, MS – Courtesy of the Dispatch and Grant McLaughlin

COLUMBUS

Sweet Peppers Deli at 2017 Hwy. 45 N. in Columbus will temporarily close down for a month or so beginning this coming Monday. They will be remodeling the 25-year-old restaurant and giving it a new look. Owner John Bean said. “It’s time to remodel and refresh it. . . We’re doing all new floors, and it’s going to be repainted with fresh colors; it’s going to be a lot lighter.” The structure of the front area will be opened up and they will add a pickup window to the North side of the building. The plan is to reopen on Tuesday, Nov 29th; their Starkville and West Point locations will remain open.

George Pittman and his crew are preparing to convert the old Fitzner-Pontiac building at 901 Hwy. 45 N. into Magnolia Cannabis Services, a medical marijuana dispensary and grow house.

pOpshelf, a “$5 and under” store is planning to open up Friday morning in the old Rite Aid building at 1800 Hwy. 45 N. Most items will cost less than five bucks, and they offer general merchandise as well as party supplies, decor, and more.

STARKVILLE

Angie Carnathan will open Daisy and Sage Hair Studio at 112 Willow Road on Tuesday. “I want Daisy and Sage to be a place where people feel like they’re going to their friend’s house to have coffee and while they’re there, going to get their hair done,” she said.

Hungry Howie’s, Insomnia Cookies and Salsarita’s will be holding a special event at the Cotton Mill Marketplace at 327 Hwy. 12 on Tuesday to celebrate Halloween.

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Please click here for the original article: https://cdispatch.com/news/2022-10-27/goings-on-with-grant-sweet-peppers-temporarily-closing/

New Shops and New Locations Inbound

GTR AREA, MS – Courtesy of the Dispatch and Grant McLaughlin

COLUMBUS

Allen Dale’s men’s clothing and candle shop, and Waverly’s Boutique, a women’s and children’s clothing store, recently joined forces under a single roof to create a store that has a variety of clothes and other goods for a broad range of clientele. They are located at 2401 Hwy. 45 N., where the former Endless Beauty Salon used to be. Waverly’s online store, Olivia’s Outlet, will continue operation.

STARKVILLE

Nick Plava, owner of Amore Italian Restaurant in Oxford, is opening the Double Headed Eagle Bar and Grill at 1545 Saint Andrews Lane in the next few weeks: “It’s set up with all the TVs and everything,” Plava said. “We’re going to have some pool tables, dart boards and hopefully DJs and bands.”

The third location of Spin City laundromat recently opened at 800 Louisville St., across from Starkville High School. “We got a coffee bar set up,” owner Jason Perry said. “You can come in here, bring your laptop computers, bring your devices. We have charging stations where you can do work if you want to while your laundry is set up.”

Please click here for the original article: https://cdispatch.com/news/2022-09-29/goings-on-with-grant-two-online-stores-move-under-one-hwy-45-brick-and-mortar-roof/

K-Mart Building on the Auction Block

COLUMBUS, MS – Courtesy of the Dispatch and Grant McLaughlin

The commercial real estate agency Crexi recently posted a listing for the old K-Mart structure on Hwy 45, which has lain vacant since late 2018. The opening bid will be $750,000, and prospective bidders have until Oct 10 to put down a $10,000 deposit and pass a background check, as well as meeting other requirements. “The vacant box is 412 (feet) by 282.2 (feet), creating an ample amount of frontage for retail redevelopment,” the listing reads. “This will give investors flexibility when backfilling the center, allowing them to subdivide the space in a way that is suitable for prospective retailers.” Lowndes County tax records estimate the property’s value at $3.1 million.

Please click here for the original article: https://cdispatch.com/news/2022-09-24/kmart-building-slated-for-online-auction-in-october/