Jackson Free Press

The Jackson Redevelopment Authority is looking to tear down two dilapidated apartment buildings on Jackson West Boulevard near the former Metro Manor apartments.

"Those buildings should be condemned," JRA board member Matt Thomas said. "These two eyesores have to be removed. I think you can see this for yourselves if you look at them standing there, looking decrepit."

The buildings are near a 17-acre vacant lot slated for development. Once the location of the Metro Manor apartment complex, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development took over Metro Manor because of "the deplorable condition" in which it was being maintained, said Jackson City Planning Director Corinne Fox. She said the city demolished the complex "several years ago."

"HUD took it over and conveyed it to the city for the grand sum of a dollar with the understanding that we would convey it to JRA for redevelopment," Fox said. "The properties in dispute are not a part of the Metro Manor parcel of land, but because they're on the way in to Metro Manor ... you're not going to do anything great with Metro Manor with those sitting there."

The property in dispute contains a total of five parcels with three owners, and includes a church, Victory Metropolitan Full Church, at 125 Jackson West Blvd., the former site of a movie theater.

JRA Executive Director Jason Brookins said the pastor at Victory Metropolitan has plans to build a sanctuary at the entrance at Jackson Boulevard, so his property is not as easily available. The Jackson Free Press could not reach Victory Metropolitan at its published number, but Brookins said he expected the church to move on construction in June.

This leaves a small apartment complex that needs demolition, said JRA member John Reeves.

"How can the city let that be like that?" Reeves demanded, pointing to a picture of the aged building with degenerating outer walls.

"I wasn't going to go there," Thomas quipped.

"But that ought to be condemned now and demolished," Reeves said.

"People are living in there, and you can't put people on the street," Fox said.

"That's not a correct statement," countered Reeves, adding that the JRA pays $300 to $400 a month to keep the neighboring vacant lot mowed while it awaits a new owner. "You may not want to do that, but you can make them move. In any case, they should not have to live in something like that."

One building of the double complex has plywood over windows and doors, and a broken, warped wooden staircase. The second building looked occupied, although knocks on the doors produced no response Friday.

Fox said the city has prematurely submitted a request for bid proposals to sell the neighboring vacant lot, before it learned that HUD expected the city to convey the property to the JRA. She says the city would let the JRA use the city's request for bid proposals and would hand over a list of developers who'd shown an interest in the property.

Brookins said the city would eventually like the area to sustain single-family homes. However, JRA Chairman Ronnie Crudup said the JRA would likely have to deal with the surrounding, dilapidated property to make the vacant lot more sales-worthy.

"There is a real concern about adjacent properties," Crudup said. "We'll need to be able to capture all of that to get rid of the eyesores if we're going to put a nice neighborhood back there."

The board agreed to move forward with the city's RFP, with the understanding that the board will allow Brookins to talk to the landowners and get their requested price for their property. Failing that, the JRA may consider condemning some property.

Eyes on Farish
The JRA also discussed continuing development of the Farish Street Entertainment District last week, prompting developer David Watkins to produce a written report on progress this week.

The authority owns the property that Farish Street Group LLC is developing, but the agency agreed to defer lease payments from David Watkins, a managing member of the group, last November, until Watkins found tenants for the high-end real estate.

Farish Street Group LLC invested about $8 million into the Farish Street development by February, which includes about $4.5 million in loans. Developers in the district qualify for federal tax credits worth up to 20 percent of development costs to help with renovation. Finding post-renovation tenants, however, has been neither quick nor easy.

The quasi-government redevelopment group deferred $1,500 a month in minimum guaranteed rentals for Watkins' parcels since November 2010, but the board voted to demand back payment from November forward, unless Watkins delivers letters of intent for leases, actual leases, or an assessment on where the project stands. JRA members said they would be satisfied with a status report on prospective tenants and where developers stand in signing lease deals with them.

Watkins told the Jackson Free Press that the report would be ready later this week.