Jackson Free Press

In a startling development, four council members voted to withhold a decision approving a $75 million construction project in Ward 3, even though the delay could put the project at risk.

"We're already three months past where we wanted to start construction, and another month's delay, plus the additional delays we'll run into getting our construction permit, will delay us until around December, and that's really too late in the year to start breaking ground." said Michael Smith, CEO of MPI Center, LLC, which is championing a massive multi-use neighborhood in an area known for lagging growth.

Council members Kenneth Stokes, Frank Bluntson, Charles Tillman and Leslie McLemore voted to hold off approving the development until the city further researched its impact to the local infrastructure. They did this despite assurances from city infrastructure engineer Charles Williams that the development would likely not tax the ward's drainage or waste systems. Developers say the city's 30-day delay will be costly due to accruing interest on loans and fees.

Livingston Village—funded in part with federal Gulf Opportunity Zone tax-exempt bonds courtesy of Hurricane Katrina—would transform the site of the defunct Hood Furniture plant on Livingston Road into a 72-acre mixed-use development containing condominiums, single-family homes, a job training center, a daycare, and retail and office space.

Attorney James Peden, who represents Smith, told the JFP that the project would employ 350 workers during the construction phase and provide 300 full-time and 50 part-time jobs after construction.

"We expect the annual sales tax to the city to be approximately $150,000 per year. We estimate that ad valorem taxes should go up to $647,000 each year," Peden said, adding that MPI also planned to make $3.1 million in street improvements, almost $3 million in drainage improvements, $770,000 in sewer improvements, and $655,000 in water line replacement and construction.

Stokes, who represents the designated neighborhood of the development, led the charge to stop the project.

"If you can't get me an assurance that this project will not affect other people in this ward, then I'm going to kill it," Stokes promised.

Smith assured Stokes that the project would come with millions of dollars in new plumbing and a drainage plan, and pointed out that flooding in the area was more likely due to the city's poor upkeep of a local creek, which is usually choked with tree limbs, garbage and overgrown with weeds.

Stokes was unmoved, and eventually coaxed others members to his side. Councilwoman Margaret Barrett-Simon was the lone dissent in the motion to delay the vote. Councilman Marshand Crisler was out of town.

Former Department of Planning and Economic Development Director Carl Allen, now of MPI, said Jackson Mayor Frank Melton told his associates he disapproved of the development, and Allen predicted last Friday that Melton might use his voting bloc of three council members to tie approval of the project with a 3-to-3 vote, essentially stalling the development. Melton did not return calls.

Councilmen Stokes, Tillman and Bluntson predictably vote in accord with the mayor, causing a 3-3 tie on controversial issues ever since the abrupt departure of swing-voting former council President Ben Allen last month. Allen's cynicism appeared premature last Friday, with both Bluntson and Tillman pushing hard in favor of the project.

"I'm for economic development for this city, so they're going to have to prove to me why we shouldn't have it," Bluntson said.

Tillman said the project needed better PR to sell itself to neighborhood residents.

"We need a better way for getting the good things coming to Jackson out to the good people in the neighborhoods, because I don't think they have all the facts," Tillman said.

Both council members had cooled to the idea by Monday, however.

"I think we should be mindful of affecting other people in the ward," Bluntson said. "Some of these people have already been living there for years."

McLemore embraced the same cautionary argument. "I don't see it as having stalled the project," McLemore said. "We're just making sure the project is (feasible)."

Carl Allen admitted that he was floored by McLemore's accord with the Melton bloc, and looked clearly perturbed by the delay.

"Besides Stokes, I don't think I was expecting the vote to go this way," Allen said, "and I can't believe they did it."

Peden remained optimistic.

"They delayed the vote, but I think most of them are actually favorable to the project. I'm hoping someone will cut that 30-day wait a little shorter," Peden said, adding that he had suggested to council that the city appoint a person to oversee the city's information gathering in order to speed the process. "The winter rainy season is no time to begin construction."