Starkville Seeks to Revitalize Hwy 182 Corridor
A coalition of business consultants and local officials got together recently to discuss ways to help bring the Hwy 182 business district back to life by cleaning up and renovating unused storefronts, doing new construction and beautification. Many ideas were put forth, and research will be done between the final deadline at he end of September, allowing time for the citizenry to give their own input, in addition to the public commentary that has already been gathered. The proposed changes are intended to help encourage local entrepreneurs to operate in the area, and to get shoppers into those shops – and that’s Good for Business!
Courtesy of the Dispatch –
One specific proposal suggested taking the gas station at the corner of Highway 182 and Douglas L. Connor Drive and turning it into a restaurant, “Roosters,” inspired by a famous local fowl of days gone by. The proposed floorplan will keep the existing station’s (inoperative) gas pumps within the restaurant, and incorporate the existing structure, in order to help give it a unique look and feel. Other suggestions included a two-story, mixed-use building on another corner with retail space on the ground floor, and residential above. Outside funding will be sought.
“A limited vision is of limited value,” Mayor Parker Wiseman said. “We want to start with the idea of what the maximum potential of the area should be. It’s important not to hold anything back in stating our aspirations, and I believe the community did that this week . . . In setting a vision, you want a vision that inspires, and you also want a vision that has local buy-in,” Wiseman said. “The best way to build that vision is to have local stakeholders be the driving force behind the vision.”
Read the full version here: http://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=51115
The GTR LINK, which has been a large part of making our Golden Triangle community better for many, many years, is reportedly preparing to discuss plans for new industrial park options in the area.
MS State has done it again! In their ongoing efforts to give students new opportunities to learn about how business works out in the real world, a new facility has been built to help house and support offices and support local startups!
The new Parker-McGill mega-dealership project on Highway 12 is moving along right on schedule; the investors announced this week that they are ready to open a temporary lot to begin selling vehicles. The group is investing $21 million into the 26-acre parcel, with plans for multiple car dealerships, residential units, and office space in the very near future. The ambitious project was fueled by a $3 million TIF bond, which was used to fund significant infrastructure on the site. All told, the site could eventually bring nearly a half million dollars per year into the local tax base, on top of the impact on the workforce.