Jackson Free Press

The Jackson Redevelopment Authority has chosen a development consortium out of Dallas, Texas, with very close ties to controversial developer Gene Phillips as the developers of the Convention Center hotel, and may hand them the contract to refurbish the Standard Life building shortly, according to The Clarion-Ledger.

Read more about Gene Phillips here.
And here.
And here.
And here.
And here for this paper's coverage to date.

Previous Commentsshow

I'm glad they didn't get Standard Life. Lord, bless the Convention Center, please.

LatashaWillis

Jun 27 2007

I wonder when they will release some sort of rendering for the project? This is such an important piece of the downtown puzzle that I must agree with those who are worried. Are these people up to the task? Will this be Melton's denouement? Has anyone seen other projects developed by this group?

tombarnes

Jun 27 2007

Didn't they have a sketch of the convention center when it was on the ballot?

LatashaWillis

Jun 27 2007

There is a sketch of the Convention Center, but I have seen no renderings of the proposed hotel(s). I'm also wondering what sort of brand affiliation these hotels will be sporting. As much as I would like to see an independent hotel or two in downtown Jackson, I assume that the hotels will not be independent.

tombarnes

Jun 27 2007

Oh joy... and the destruction of Jackson has now been outsourced. Wonderful.

Ironghost

Jun 27 2007

I guess I thanked JRA to soon. I am leary of that Texas firm. I have read about the Phillips guy and there is something unsettling about him to me. It would be just like fm to want the convention cernter to be a mess since HJ was the one who pushed it through. I just hope the Convention board keeps an eye on this and don't let us wind up with a pink elephant.

jada

Jun 27 2007

If you read one of the links Donna provided, the former insurance commissioner of Oklahoma was indicted for, among other things, accepting a bribe from Gene Phillips. Which now begs the question, why in the world does Frank like to associate himself with people of questionable and even criminal character, especially when he publicly rails against other people of questionable and criminal character?

golden eagle '97

Jun 28 2007

It would be just like fm to want the convention cernter to be a mess since HJ was the one who pushed it through. I just hope the Convention board keeps an eye on this and don't let us wind up with a pink elephant. jada, I think you mean white elephant. You see pink elephants when you're drunk. LOL

LatashaWillis

Jun 28 2007

Golden, I wish I could link to all the news reports about the Oklahoma scandal, and other issues, in Nexis, but I can't.

DonnaLadd

Jun 28 2007

Donna, can you tell us how we can see the info for ourselves?

LatashaWillis

Jun 28 2007

Golden, I wish I could link to all the news reports about the Oklahoma scandal, and other issues, in Nexis, but I can't. Well, you've done enough and we really don't thank you and the staff enough for providing us the info that you all do to keep us informed. I'm sure the Oklahoma scandal is just the tip of a huge iceberg, but it's a prime example of why we shouldn't sell this city out to just anybody in order to make up badly-needed tax revenue. Such things could come back and haunt us dearly.

golden eagle '97

Jun 28 2007

"Which now begs the question, why in the world does Frank like to associate himself with people of questionable and even criminal character, especially when he publicly rails against other people of questionable and criminal character?" Because birds of a feather flock together. The irony of the Capitol City Goofball talking about "corruption at the highest levels" is awe inspiring... If I thought he were intelligent enough, I'd think he was subliminally telling everybody what a crook he is. As it stands, though, he's just a psycopath being a psycopath.

millhouse

Jun 28 2007

Wasn't there supposed to be a big announcement about this project yesterday? Or is this going to be another disaster?

tombarnes

Jun 30 2007

I believe this is a done deal. I don't have a problem with the actual development itself, but I'm just leery of having a project with Phillips' name to it. If HRI, for example, were to do it, I'd wholeheartedly support it.

golden eagle '97

Jun 30 2007

Yeah, I wish we could attract some more savory billionaires; but, this is what we got. Ol' Pike even got an email from former-Councilman Allen awhile back when this first came up, and he asked to just give that group a chance - it will be a great project. I thought that was cool! Fair enough. I guess we just need to keep an eye on this project, and how the City interacts between Gene's project and those of other developers. We'll see if the City throws up red tape after red tape against everyone but Gene. Let's hope not.

pikersam

Jun 30 2007

I'd me much happier about the project with at least an inkling of what's being built. How can this be a "done deal" without so much as a sketch of what's going to be built. This is of tremendous importance to the city and information about the project ought to be made available to the public. If Phillips/TCI can do this without scandal, so much the better.

tombarnes

Jun 30 2007

And for the JPS school bond naysayers who claim Melton wanted to keep it local; and look this "Preferred Co." only incorporated just recently, blah, blah, blah... Gee... It looks litk Gene Phillip's groups TCI, did the same darn thing with TCI MS! Just go to the Ms Sec of State website! See the Officer registered happens to be in TX. The address is a Gene Phillips company. They don't even have an office in Jackson per say. They use a proxy to register through locally! So, when you are trying to explain to the FBI that you were just trying to stay local by strong arming the School Board to go with IMS and their California partner, be sure to mention "TCI MS!" Hey, it doesn't mean this won't end up a good project. But, if you are going to do things that the FBI may investigate, you may want to cut back on the lies and blatant hypocrisy! Suck it Meltonites!

pikersam

Jun 30 2007

One of the main questions would seem to be how Mr. Phillips deals with local people who don't do things the way he wants. All this money could come at a hefty price. Follow the Oklahoma Google trail to see what I mean.

DonnaLadd

Jun 30 2007