Jackson Free Press

[Verbatim Release] Funding Complete for Phase One of the Farish Street Entertainment District; Focus Turns to Phase II -- BB King's Blues Club and Stimley Performing Arts Park

JACKSON, Miss., Feb. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- The permanent loan for Phase One of the Farish Street Entertainment District development has closed. This sets the stage for the district to welcome its first customer in Fall, 2008. When complete, Farish Street will be a 70,000 square foot entertainment, retail and restaurant district.

The loan, provided by the Mississippi Development Authority / Central Mississippi Planning and Development District (MDA/CMPDD), retires $1 million in construction financing provided by Trustmark Bank.

"Credit goes to Gray Swoope, the current MDA/CMPDD executive director, as well as former director Leland Speed," said John Elkington, president of Performa Mississippi, LLC, the project developer in conjunction with the Jackson Redevelopment Authority. "State Sen. Merle Flowers also played an important role in moving this project forward."

"Because of previous failed attempts to redevelop Farish Street, many lenders were reluctant to participate in this project," Elkington explained. "But, thanks to the work of Gray, Leland, Sen. Flowers and others, we not only have Phase One funding in place, we have an established process that will allow for expedited funding approval for the remaining phases of the redevelopment."

"With permanent financing in place, we can move forward with the tenant improvements that will allow the district to open this Fall," Elkington explained. "Our focus now turns to Phase Two," Elkington said. This phase will include BB King's Blues Club, an entertainment hall and restaurant featuring the music and cuisine of Mississippi.

"Phase Two also will include Stimley Performing Arts Park, honoring one of Jackson's most prominent African American families and longtime leaders in the Farish Street community."

According to Speed, "Despite the challenges, many of them unexpected, the Farish Street Redevelopment Project soon will be open. This is a tribute to local supporters and to John Elkington and his team, all of whom never lost faith in this project and always continued the push ahead."

Performa Mississippi's parent company, Performa Entertainment Real Estate, Inc., is a privately owned real estate development and advisory firm located in Memphis, TN. Performa, responsible for the redevelopment of Beale Street, Tennessee's number one tourist attraction, has become the nation's leading developer and consultant in this field of developing mixed-use urban retail/entertainment districts.

Previous Comments

ID

98423

Comment

Lets get it going, its does seem now that politics was holding Farish street back, do yall think this would have took this long in Brickville.

Author

NewJackson

Date

2008-02-13T09:26:44-06:00

ID

98424

Comment

Fall 2008 - is that September or November?

Author

QB

Date

2008-02-13T11:03:38-06:00

ID

98425

Comment

I thought Jesus would come back before this project got going. Better late than never, though.

Author

golden eagle

Date

2008-02-13T11:08:04-06:00

ID

98426

Comment

"I thought Jesus would come back before this project got going" HAHA

Author

Concerned in Jacktown

Date

2008-02-13T11:16:52-06:00

ID

98427

Comment

Glad to see they're finally making progress!

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2008-02-13T14:52:34-06:00