Jackson Free Press

Hotel RFP Coming
The Jackson Redevelopment Authority has begun the process of preparing a new request for proposals for a convention center hotel. The new RFP will have rigid specifications, JRA board members said at the Jan. 25 regular meeting. It will include details on submitting financial disclosures and documents that explain the strength of the company bidding.

The RFP might include architectural plans for the developer to use, instead of the developer submitting plans. The pre-made plans would save time and make clear what the JRA expects. The board is still preparing the RFP this week and plans to publish its specific request soon. The board has not settled on the makeup of a vetting committee for the responses, yet.

The board is also considering getting a new appraisal on TCI-owned property. An earlier appraisal was a composite of all the lots TCI had put together with hopes of building the hotel. The staff and the legal counsel advised the board Jan. 25 to get a new appraiser to evaluate each lot separately. The cost of the new appraisal would be about $10,000.

Some board members questioned the need for a new appraisal. Zach Taylor, a lawyer for JRA, advised the board it would be best to have someone not involved at all in the previous TCI project. The board's finance committee will examine the question closer before the board votes on it.

Chamber Presents Awards
Before Gov. Phil Bryant gave a brief speech, the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership presented several awards at its annual meeting Jan. 25.

• Lashanda Alexander of Century 21 Maselle and Associates won the Ambassador of the Year award.
• The Small Business Award went to TempStaff.
• St. Dominic Hospital won the Large Business Award.
• Flowood Mayor Gary Rhoads won the Pat Yarborough Award for an "outstanding individual."

The governor's speech emphasized the importance of the medical industry in the state and specifically in the greater Jackson area. Aging baby boomers will have an economic impact, and communities with "clusters of hospitals" will benefit.

"We believe for every physician that comes here, they bring $2 million with them," he said.

New JCVB Members
Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. Has appointed nine people to the Jackson Convention and Visitors Bureau board of directors. At its Jan. 24 meeting, the Jackson City Council approved the appointments of Monique Davis, Marcia Weaver, Gaines Sturdivant, Robert Gibbs, H.A. Whittington, Juanita Sims-Doty, John Hardy, Leroy Walker Jr. And Kenneth Crotwell. Most of the appointees were returning board members; Monique Davis was the only new appointment. Davis owns Lumpkins BBQ and is a community activist.

She briefly addressed the council about the organizations her business supports, the public schools her children attend and the parent-education programs Lumpkins sponsors at the restaurant on Saturdays.

Unwired at Metrocenter
Several city of Jackson offices in the Jackson Medical Mall have a February deadline to move—that's when the lease ends. But moving into new space at the Metrocenter Mall can't happen just yet because the developer didn't include cabling for telephones and computers.

The additional cost for the cabling would be $250,000, with developer Retro Metro finishing the work in the old Belk store. The project already exceeds $2.5 million in improvements.

The City Council had a special meeting Jan. 30 to vote on the quarter-of-a-million dollar change order, but took no action. When none of the councilmen present made a motion, no discussion was held and no vote was cast.

At a Jan. 23 work session, Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. Briefed the council about the coming change order and explained why it was needed. The specifications weren't made in the developer's plans.

"Neither one of us accounted on the cabling," the mayor said. "We were focused on space."

He told the council that the $250,000 would come out of the city's tech fund. "It won't impact the bottom line," the mayor said.