Jackson Free Press

JACKSON — On Sept. 7, the developers of The District at Eastover, a multi-use development in northeast Jackson, acquired One Eastover Center from Eastover Jackson, LLC. One Eastover Center is a Class A office building and parking garage. OEC principals Breck Hines and Ted Duckworth orchestrated the deal, and Origin Bank provided financing.

Completed in 2015, One Eastover Center is home to the Baker Donelson law firm, Ross & Yerger insurance and Cosmich Simmons & Brown law firm. The building includes 115,000 square feet of office space on five floors and an adjacent 400-space parking garage. It is located on the north end of The District at Eastover. As the building is already mostly occupied, the developers do not have any immediate changes planned, and purchased the building largely to have more control over the Eastover brand.

In addition to acquiring One Eastover Center, OEC recently opened a Residence Inn by Marriott at The District at Eastover. Other developments under construction are The District Lofts, The BankPlus Building and 115,000 square feet of ground floor retail and restaurant space, which will be completed in 2017.

Local Sororities Organize Community Garden

Rho Lambda Omega and Beta Delta Omega, both chapters of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., partnered with Alcorn University and the United States Department of Agriculture to break ground for a community garden on Tuesday, Sept. 13. Rev. James Henley and the Fresh Start Church Ministry are also participating in the project. The garden sits on a half-acre of land located at Fresh Start Christian Church (5210 Manhattan Road).



The U.S. Department of Agriculture made a $10,000 donation to the two sororities in June 2016 to get the project started. Members of the Alcorn Extension Program are helping cultivate the grounds and expect to be finished by the end of September. The university will handle irrigation and educating the public on proper agricultural techniques.

The community garden will address hunger, environment and agricultural practices, with the goal of enhancing health and wellness for Jackson residents over the next five years, a release from the sororities said. The garden will also provide an opportunity to educate local school-aged children on the importance of gardening. Produce grown in the garden will be donated to help local families in need.
 For information, contact project chairwoman Shirley McFarland at 601-214-0278.

Charlie Graingers Comes to Ridgeland and Flowood

Mike and Melissa Naylor, who until a year and a half ago were the franchise owners for Little Caesars Pizza in Mississippi, decided to get out of the pizza business and focus on hot dogs instead. The couple is now bringing Charlie Graingers to Mississippi, with their first location opened on Friday, Sept. 16, in the Renaissance at Colony Park (1000 Highland Colony Pkwy., Ridgeland) and a second location is holding its grand opening today, Sept. 20, in Flowood (115 Laurel Park Cove). To mark the opening of the Flowood location, the Naylors are holding a ribbon-cutting ceremony today and a performance by Acoustic Crossroad tonight from 6 to 9 p.m.

Charlie Graingers's main attraction is its gourmet hot dogs, which come in 19 varieties and made fresh every day. The restaurant also has a wide selection of sandwiches, barbecue, sides and more.

"Everything we have here, from brisket to turkey gumbo to cole slaw and anything else, is all made fresh right here in the restaurant," Mike Naylor said. "We're also dedicated to using all local ingredients sourced from farms and vendors in Mississippi."

Charlie Graingers is open Monday through Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, call 601-500-7409 or visit charliegraingers.com.

Local 463 Moving to Ridgeland

Local 463 (121 Colony Crossing Way, Madison) is moving to a larger space in the Renaissance at Colony Park in Ridgeland. The new space will have three private dining rooms and a larger bar. The owners are anticipating an early December move-in date. For more information, call 601-707-7684 or visit the restaurant's Facebook page.