Jackson Free Press

For more than a decade, Jackson Mayor Frank Melton spent his career lobbing criticism and condemnation at local political leaders that he felt weren't doing a good job of keeping the city of Jackson off its knees.

Now that Melton is the top administrator of the city, he is still finding it difficult to let go of his role as gadfly. Even as he recoils from criticism, Melton characterizes himself as breathing down the neck of investors looking to spruce up the city's downtown area, namely the long-neglected King Edward Hotel and the largely abandoned territory in and around Farish Street.

"We've been sitting here for 40 days without rain, and there's nothing keeping them from getting them over there and making progress," Melton told The Clarion-Ledger on Nov. 3, voicing his disdain for the strides made by Performa Entertainment Inc. of Memphis on Farish Street.

"Their performance is pathetic, and I'm flat out getting sick of it," Melton said.

Melton's complaint comes after about $2 million in beautification efforts in the Farish Street Entertainment District. Now that the brick-laying machines are gone and new street lamps are up, the site has been sitting quiet for many days this last month.

Performa Entertainment's John Elkington, who has already invested more than $1 million in the area, says there have been no hold-ups, however, and that the project is on track.

Not a Kamikaze Pilot

"We're right on schedule in October," Elkington said, and then tossed off a long checklist of little irritations that have haunted development so far. Performa Entertainment had sent the mayor's office a memo (and many memos previously) explaining that the National Park Service, the Jackson Historical Commission and the state Department of Archives and History had approved interior demolition.

Then, he said, came the structural report delivering the news that builders would have to replace the roof of the building slated to be the B.B. King Blues Club due to dry rot and termites, followed by the revelation that asbestos was present in the building despite claims by city agencies that there was none.

Contractors must also replace numerous support beams with steel supports or girders, which must then face scrutiny from several agencies or the company risks losing its historical tax credits.

"This is not a deal where you blow through and do whatever you want, (not) unless you don't want the historical tax credits. Unless you want to spend a zillion dollars, you've got to pace yourself," Elkington said, adding that his first priority was not specifically to please the new mayor.

"I'm not being disrespectful, but we've done our homework. We know what we're doing. We've got over a million dollars in this already, and my mother didn't raise a kamikaze pilot. We intend for this to be a success and we're very optimistic, but we're going to do this right."

At least eight businesses have already committed to leasing all the space currently being offered in the district, including The B.B. King Blues Club, The Big Apple Inn, King Biscuit and Wet Willie's Daiquiri Bar. Joining them will be Jackson's own Stamps Superburgers and the Subway Lounge, which Elkington predicts to be "a huge attraction."

Another unique attraction will be a bed and breakfast converted from a string of pre-existing shotgun shacks, capitalizing on the bluesy, throwback charm of the Farish Street of Elmore James and Sonny Boy Williams' day.

The clubs themselves will feature exposed ductwork, brick walls and ceiling joists, and concrete floors that have been stained to match the low-income charm of Mississippi's juke-joint era. Elkington said the project is not about building another Applebee's in Flowood.

If you want thrown-together, soulless eateries, drive to a suburb, he said.

Dodging Vitriol

Melton's criticism of the project remains vocal, however, and he has plenty left over for developers of the King Edward Hotel. Melton threatened to "implode" the building as late as two weeks ago, telling the Mississippi Link that his plan for Jackson development includes getting rid of the building, which has long been a multi-story bird roost.

Melton said he was "95 percent sure" the King Edward is coming down, despite the recent approval of a HUD loan for environmental work.

"We have been talking about the King Edward Hotel for so many years that I have lost track," he told the paper. "The bottom line is that if it is going to be done with private dollars then that's what it should be. Let's put our cards on the table and not deceive the taxpayers in this city."

The arrival of the federal money has triggered the long, painful process of negotiating who gets to make the first investments. Will the city fork over the HUD money now or force investors to put their own money where their mouths are?

"If the city is going to put that money at risk, they're going to need to know that certain things are going to be achieved at certain times, and they'll probably take the position that they don't want to give any of the money until these things are accomplished," said John Lawrence, president of Downtown Jackson Partners, which is not a direct investor in the project.

"The developer will probably take the position that 'we're going to be taking the risk, and we need that money up front, and we don't want to get started until the money is in hand.' There will probably be some meeting in between those two arguments."

David Watkins, a principal investor in the hotel, was unavailable this week for comment on the project.

Lawrence said it would be in the better interest of King Edward investors like HRI Inc. of New Orleans to push for a stable supply of investment money early on in the project.

"HRI understands that they've got to have their ducks in a row before they get in there because as soon as they start tearing into those walls they're going to find something that nobody ever thought about.

"You'll find an addition to the basement that was not on anybody's plan, or they'll knock down a wall and discover that a support that holds the whole building up is going to have to be saved and it'll run another $50,000. This is a given in buildings that run 80 to 100 years old, so they need their plan of attack to be secure," Lawrence said.

Elkington said he wished Melton could be more supportive of the investments underway, saying the developers and the city were ultimately pulling for the same goal.

"What Jackson doesn't have right now is a group or leisure tourism industry, and we feel like we could be a big help in that area," Elkington said.