Jackson Free Press

In 1995, Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. and local business leaders managed to convince legislators to authorize more than $17 million to build the Telecommunications and Conferencing Center, now due for a ribbon-cutting in a couple of weeks on Pascagoula Street. Johnson had fought to promote the idea of the Telecommunications Center to the state Legislature, which often shied away from dispensing money for capital city projects. The project began with numerous false starts, including stalls over the building's location. One failed proposal suggested using the dilapidated King Edward Hotel as the home of the center.

When the development finally began to take shape, however, Johnson was already looking to tie the possibility of the Capitol City Convention Center to the project, hoping the convention center could piggyback into reality on the shoulders of the TelCom Center.

For years, tax-leery legislators stalled that process, as late as 2003 withholding the right of Jackson residents to hold a vote on whether to locally tax themselves for funds to build the convention center.

Then in 2004, Gov. Haley Barbour said he would not veto a bill giving Jacksonians the option to fund the center, and legislators passed a bill that same year. The vote to approve the funding was carried with more than the 60 percent required voter approval in November of that year.

Johnson's idea of connecting the Convention Center to the Telecommunications Building has created a problem, however. Since the two structures are to be connected on the same street, members of the MetroJackson Chamber of Commerce are questioning the efficiency of two different boards governing both facilities.

"From the chamber's standpoint, the entire issue of TelCom and the Convention Center, we think that for the obvious reasons of governance, the two boards need to come together under one," says Duane O'Neill, president CEO of MetroJackson Chamber of Commerce.

"The mayor has pledged his support. The city's legislative committee … has heard from us, and they'd like to see more discussion between the TelCom Commission and the Capital City Convention Center Commission to make sure they're all in support of it, and we're kind of organizing some of that."

Rep. John Reeves, R-Jackson, is preparing legislation in connection with the proposal, but some council members are concerned over the plan.

"If we're to disband the convention center board as it is set up by state statute, we'd be in violation of the law that authorizes it, and the Legislature could withdraw that contract," Ward 1 Councilman Ben Allen warned. "Part of the law stipulates what he board of the convention center will be like. If we violate that provision of the convention center law that was passed, the Legislature could void it. I just think we need to be careful how we do this. This isn't something we can just jump into."

Council President Marshand Crisler said there needed to be more development on the project before he could give it an up or down vote.

"We need to find out what are the pros and cons of the merger, and that hasn't been clarified, yet. I'm concerned about financial implications as far as whose responsibility it will be and the make-up of the new board, and what will the council's role be in the selection of the members. There are a lot of concerns," Crisler said.

O'Neill proposed that simply combining the two boards would create a cumbersome load, and suggested abolishing both boards and setting up a new board consisting of most of the people who are currently serving—with a preference for members serving on the already-contentious Convention Center Board.

"I think most of the Convention Center board—since the decisions they're working on right now are so vital to getting that project up and running—then that board needs to be up and running, and that board pretty much needs to be intact," O'Neill said.

The Convention Center board had hit snags early on when then Mayor Johnson and members of the MetroJackson Chamber of Commerce bickered over four names the chamber nominated to fill two posts: O'Neill, Bill Farmer, Eddie Maloney and Bill Lampton. Johnson argued that he didn't think any of the organization's choices "filled the intent of the law that calls for representing businesses in the city of Jackson."

Johnson argued then that state law allowed the commission to run without full occupancy of all seven seats and moved on. When Melton replaced Johnson last year, he quickly chose O'Neill and Farmer from the four nominees.

While hesitant to offer opinions this early on, Crisler said that both commissions needed better communication between each other.

"There needs to be more dialogue between members of the Convention Center and Telecom commissions. Right now, conversation has not been participated in between those individuals," Crisler said.

Previous Comments

ID

65075

Comment

What we have here is nothing but greed on the part of the handful of business leaders who already control much of Jackson already. They can't stand it that "other" people will have input on projects that are out of their control. They didn't start calling for this until the Telecom Center was about finished and poised to start making money. Hmmm? I say they should cross this bridge once the Convention Center is almost finished. They seem a little antsy don't they?

Author

pikersam

Date

2006-01-15T12:49:07-06:00

ID

65076

Comment

Agreed. I don't think it makes any of these folks sound very good, frankly. Everyone just wants to control everything themselves. Lord.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2006-01-15T12:50:29-06:00

ID

65077

Comment

If we could for once put our personal agendas aside, just this once, then mayby this Convention Center could be used to begin a turnaround in our faltering economy. I said in one of my other comments that we should work together to end crime and re-vitalize our economic situatuion by promoting businesses and jobs in our city. I truly believe that this will help to deter crime because working people aren't as likely to live double lives as criminals. We are losing businesses so fast that it looks like a circus caravan leaving Jackson. What better way to kill two birds with one stone? It is not the only answer to our city's problems, but it is a start. If Frank "Marshall Dillion" Melton would leave his guns, fake badges, and bulletproof vests at home for a few days and do the job that he was elected to do, we probably still have time to save this city. It was a shame and a scandal yesterday (1/15/06) that we had visiting cheerleaders robbed at gunpoint here. I wonder if the criminals that did this would have had a job to go to would they have even considered this cowardly act? An idle mind is the devil's workshop.

Author

lance

Date

2006-01-16T08:37:15-06:00

ID

65078

Comment

I may sound a little like Pollyanna right now, but I am still hopeful about the project. WAPT had a news segment last week about the opening of the TelCom Center, and it is a state of the art facility. Even though the center lost some bookings this year because of Hurricane Katrina, it has a bright future. I believe that in the next couple of years, once everyone sees how well the TelCom Center is doing, the Convention Center will gain support, and the committees will have no choice but to compromise and work things out because too many people will be anxious to see the center erected and functioning. It is time to cut out the King of the Hill games and get to work - for real.

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2006-01-16T11:57:13-06:00

ID

65079

Comment

"I believe that in the next couple of years...." Well, this thing is (was??) supposed to be completed by 2008. Are they delaying construction of this until they figure out committee situation? Good lord.

Author

millhouse

Date

2006-01-16T12:34:05-06:00

ID

65080

Comment

Are they delaying construction of this until they figure out committee situation? I don't see that directly mentioned in the article, but I think the whole point is that this feuding has the potential to cause a delay or dismissal of the project.

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2006-01-16T18:14:12-06:00

ID

65081

Comment

That's what I was wondering... I thought there was a set time that construction was to begin (early this year). But now, with all the RECENT possibilities of committee changes, etc., I'm wondering if/when construction would start. It's hard to believe that there's even a remote chance that this could go down the tubes. It's been voted on and taxes are currently being collected for it. Unbelievable. Councilman, your quotes in the JFP article were the only ones stating the jeopardy that the project could be in if the board is altered. Is there a legitimate possibility that this whole project could REALLY go under?? I know that anything's possible, but is this remotely probable?

Author

millhouse

Date

2006-01-16T19:12:48-06:00

ID

65082

Comment

Remotely possible....yes. Actually possible (will it happen?)... I don't think so. BUT there are those in this beautiful world that love to see us "fail". They would never admit it , but they are there, and if this turns into a "fiasco" , would love nothing better than watching Rome burn. Keep the faith...your back is covered.

Author

Ben Allen

Date

2006-01-16T19:19:36-06:00

ID

65083

Comment

BUT there are those in this beautiful world that love to see us "fail". They would never admit it , but they are there, and if this turns into a "fiasco" , would love nothing better than watching Rome burn. Yeah, they don't have to admit - IMO, you can tell by what they do. However, we can shut the mouths of the naysayers and get this thing rolling, right? WHERE'S MY NAIL GUN? :-)

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2006-01-16T20:12:29-06:00