Mississippi is right smack dab in the middle of the fastest growing region of the richest country of all time. Yet we stagnate.
I’m convinced that part of the problem is our lackluster downtown. Jackson is right smack dab in the middle of our state. It should be our showpiece, yet it struggles.
I remember visiting Greenville, South Carolina and being amazed at the vibrancy of their downtown. Why can’t Jackson be like that, I wondered?
The City of Greenville has a website called Downtown Reborn, which discusses how they did it.
“Downtown Greenville, South Carolina's revitalization cannot be traced to one single origin. Instead, its transformation over the past four decades is the result of a series of momentous achievements, each signifying a milestone on a journey that transformed the declining city center into one of America's best downtowns.
“Today, downtown Greenville serves as a case study in effective urban planning, hosting delegations of leaders from cities all over the country who hope to recreate Greenville's success in their own communities.”
First, in 1968, citizens and community leaders commissioned a downtown development plan. The plan recommended what is now a key element of downtown — making Main Street a pedestrian friendly environment.
Jackson is quite a few years behind, but Capitol Street has been transformed into a much more pedestrian friendly street. The Great City Foundation is organizing and motivating public and private leaders to turn downtown around. Their website states, “We are a group of local business and community leaders who want to see Jackson thrive. We want to be a force multiplier for people and organizations with this same hope for Jackson to work together to make these dreams a reality.”
The state legislature has created the Capitol Complex Improvement District under the direction of the state Department of Finance and Administration. Their main interest is rehabilitating downtown infrastructure. We have the Capitol Police patrolling Jackson streets to get the crime under control.
The City of Jackson has the Jackson Redevelopment Authority. Their mission statement states: “Through strategic partnerships, the Jackson Redevelopment Authority commits to promote social equity, environmental sustainability, and economic growth. We will work every day in the public interest to develop vibrant and engaging communities that are unique to our city’s culture. We will help create safer housing, develop innovative businesses, build stronger infrastructure, and create unique public spaces through partnerships with the City of Jackson, Hinds County, the State of Mississippi and other Public and Private Partners, to help Jackson thrive.”
These groups all have a role, but in Greenville they focus on making Main Street alive and vibrant. The plan was to have one great street and as a catalyst for development. Then the rest would follow.
The website states, “Starting in the 1980s, two instrumental projects (Greenville Commons and the Peace Center) on either end of Main Street were among the first major reinvestments in downtown Greenville.
“Both projects became major draws for the central business district and provided the catalyst for more improvements. The projects utilized public-private partnerships (as recommended in the 1981 Greenville Central Area Action Plan) which became key components of the City's revitalization efforts.”
Downtown Jackson is a small area, about six by six city blocks. Our focus should be on making that small downtown area one of the coolest places in the United States.
It will take a ton of money from the state government. And it will take a mayor and city council willing to work in partnership with the state. But if we could turn around that six-by-six block area, we could turn around the entire state of Mississippi.
This will also require people in the suburbs to lay aside their finger-pointing snobbery about how horrible Jackson is. I live in Jackson. I enjoy the vibrancy of urban life. But I spend tons of time in the suburbs. I don’t put down Madison or Rankin. I love those areas as part of our metro area. Those in the suburbs should have a similar attitude. We’re all in this together.
The first thing we need is a killer hotel to go with the convention center. It’s crazy to have spent all that money on the convention center and then never have followed through with a hotel to go with it. It’s like you have a horse without a buggy.
All the bright young people coming out of college want a cool, hip, urban place to live. So they go to Nashville or Austin. So we’ve got to make those six by six blocks of downtown Jackson even cooler than any six-by-six blocks in Austin or Nashville.
This will require affordable luxury apartments for young people, great nearby restaurants, a new-age grocery store, retail, night light bars, etc. The whole works.
The first step is high-rise apartments and condos to give the youngsters a place to live downtown. There are seven such buildings currently under construction in downtown Austin. We need this in Jackson.
The free market will make that happen in 30 years, but public money can greatly jumpstart the process. Simply subsidize downtown highrise apartments and all the amenities that go with them.
The model already exists. The Renaissance in Ridgeland was built as a “tourist destination” with sales tax exemptions. A similar plan, but more aggressive, could be implemented for downtown. I’m talking about doing whatever it takes to make downtown Jackson the miracle that Greenville, South Carolina turned out to be. The ultimate benefits in statewide growth will reap a huge return.
Mississippi has spent billions subsidizing big box manufacturing plants to spur economic growth. Yet the brain drain continues. We are losing our best and brightest to cool downtown urban environments in Austin and Nashville. It is these young professionals who ultimately drive economic growth. They want a cool downtown to live in, let’s give it to them. That’s how football recruiting works.
It worked in Greenville. It can work here. We just need cooperation, leadership and money.
