Jackson Free Press

Two development projects announced today will add to Jackson's renaissance. Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. announced a $586,000 street paving project on State Street between Woodrow Wilson and Seneca avenues, and Watkins Development Vice President Jason Goree announced the national Hotel Indigo chain is planning to open a boutique hotel in the Farish Street Entertainment District.

The State Street overlay project, funded through a 2009 repaving bond, will also replace cracked curbs and sidewalks, and widen sections of State Street between Seneca and Broadway Avenues by six feet.

Business owners say they will benefit from the improvements, according to University of Mississippi Medical Center representatives.

The work complements a recent Jackson City Council approval of a $2 million grant from the Mississippi Department of Transportation to install new sidewalks, lighting, landscaping and street-construction for the streets in Fondren.

During today's Young Professional Alliance luncheon at the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership, Goree told a crowd of about 25 that Hotel Indigo, which has 31 hotels across the country, will fit in with the Farish Street Entertainment District atmosphere.

"There's this great hotel, and we're going to tie it in with the District because the (Entertainment) District is blues, and Indigo equals blues," Goree said. We're going to put it on the end of Farish Street."

"We have a couple of buildings up there now, but we're going to put a hotel there, so when you go out you can immediately hit the parties and have fun. This is actually the view that you see of Jackson," Goree said, pointing to a projected view of a hotel customer staring out a lavish hotel window.

Goree said the downtown hotel will offer 80 rooms, but did not provide an exact date for construction to begin.

Four entertainment venues will open their doors in the district this October, with more businesses opening next year. Goree said he expects to see a total of 14 businesses open along Farish Street in the upcoming months.

Jackson Developer Mike Peters tried to attract Hotel Indigo to the Fondren area as part of his Duling school development in 2008, but announced other plans earlier this year.

Previous Comments

ID

159440

Comment

I was wondering when State Street would be paved. They need to go ahead and pave all the way to Northside Drive and pave Northside itself. Great that Hotel Indigo will build on Farish Street. Weren't they supposed to have built a hotel in Fondren or am I thinking of another hotel?

Author

golden eagle

Date

2010-08-19T16:59:18-06:00

ID

159441

Comment

Hotel Indigo - sweet!!!! I stayed there in ATL, it's nice to have a boutique hotel going in, something a bit different, a bit special. cool!

Author

Izzy

Date

2010-08-19T17:04:22-06:00

ID

159442

Comment

As a musician, too, I can just see the great gigs & great musicians pouring in to Farish St.

Author

Izzy

Date

2010-08-19T17:05:13-06:00

ID

159445

Comment

Looking at Hotel Indigo's website, not even New Orleans or Memphis has one. Jackson's in good company.

Author

golden eagle

Date

2010-08-19T20:34:03-06:00

ID

159446

Comment

Glad to see State Street finally getting paved in that area, although I have no clue why they are widening the street between Seneca and Broadway - that stretch of road is plenty wide and even has a turning lane in the center (which is hardly needed). I would like to see them take out the turning lane and add useable walking and biking paths on the side(s). Another concern is the infrastructure in that area - ever since the freeze this past winter, there have been crews busting up asphalt to service pipes in at least a dozen different locations along that stretch. I hope someone is monitoring that situation before laying down new asphalt.

Author

chip

Date

2010-08-20T08:30:36-06:00

ID

159447

Comment

Totally guessing, but maybe it's to put sidewalks on both sides of the street? I think in that stretch they're only on the West side of the street; it's not until you get down to the old police station and the Artery that the sidewalks kick in on the East side. What I wonder is why the improvements stop mid-block and don't go all the way to Meadowbrook, but I guess some is better that none!

Author

Todd Stauffer

Date

2010-08-20T09:21:51-06:00

ID

159449

Comment

My guess to why they stopped at Seneca is because they have been working on infrastructure under State Street just north of there recently - maybe they plan to do some more improvements between Seneca and Meadowbrook before laying down new paving.

Author

chip

Date

2010-08-20T09:41:28-06:00

ID

159451

Comment

My guess to why they stopped at Seneca is because they have been working on infrastructure under State Street just north of there recently - maybe they plan to do some more improvements between Seneca and Meadowbrook before laying down new paving Roger that. We can hope. ;-)

Author

Todd Stauffer

Date

2010-08-20T10:01:49-06:00

ID

159452

Comment

Like I said earlier, I'd like to see State Street repaved up to Northside and really, it should go up to Sheppard Road.

Author

golden eagle

Date

2010-08-20T10:30:30-06:00