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Hernando approves hotel and retail development at McIngvale and Green T

Hernando has approved a new 25 acre development located next to I-269 that will feature retail and restaurant sites along with three new upscale hotels.

Ironwood, which will be built at the strategic corner of McIngvale and Green T Road at Exit 1 along the interstate, will have three branded hotels by Marriott, a convenience store with 12 fuel pumps, a multi-bay retail site for six tenants, and five restaurant spaces.

“This is going to be beautiful and luxurious,” said T.J. Cates who represented the developer as his economic development consultant. “When you get off at that exit and you see this, this is the first impression people will see when they come down I-55 and I-269. They’re going to really look at Hernando as something incredible. It’s going to be a good destination.”


Hernando Planning Director Austin Cardosi said the pie-shaped piece of property was used as a staging area during construction of I-269.

“The property was originally included in the right of way of I-269 by MDOT,” Cardosi said. “That was subsequently sold to the developer upon completion of the interstate.”

Cardosi told the Board of Aldermen at its April 16 meeting that the development fits in with the city’s C-2 zoning and aligns closely with the community’s desire for enhanced commercial and mixed-use development along the interstate.

“The future land use map identified this property as activity retail which is focused primarily on the needs of motorists using pedestrian access and connections,” Cardosi said.

Cates said Ironwood will be built in multiple phases starting with a six story Marriott hotel and the convenience store. The hotel will be highly visible to travelers from the Interstate and will be designed to be Hernando’s flagship hospitality destination.

“We’re not going to jump right in and build three hotels,” Cates said. “We’re going to phase it. We are going to go six stories, so it will be a little more prominent.”

Cates said the hotels will feed off of people coming out of Memphis, but will mostly cater to business travelers who fly into Memphis but don’t want to stay downtown. They also envision that it will appeal to visiting sports teams participating in local tournaments as well.


“It’s going to be primarily booked online,” Cates said. “There shouldn’t be a lot of people pulling up looking for a room. They will come into town the night before, have dinner and do some shopping, and then wake up the next morning and have breakfast, gas up their car, and then go. So this will give a lot of lodging options to DeSoto County.”

Cates said there will be no houses included in the development and that Ironwood will be about 46 percent green space with a pond and walking trails.

“It’s going to be a walking district,” Cates explained. “That’s something that Marriott requires and that you be able to only take two right hand turns off the interstate to get to the hotel and you need to be able to walk to shopping and dining so people don’t have to get in their cars and go back and forth.”

Cates said an influx of new residents and residential neighborhoods has brought about a demand for new shopping, entertainment, and dining options in Hernando. The retail and restaurant sites will feature a diverse array of national brands and will offer unique dining and expanded shopping options that will appeal to residents of Hernando and the surrounding area.

“They are talking to some large restaurant chains,” Cates said. “It’s going to be white tablecloth dining. And the reason we are talking to so many good restaurants is because everybody complains that the restaurants here close so early and the kitchens close so early. What we are hoping to do with the restaurants too is to feed off Olive Branch, Southaven, and Lewisburg. And when people stay at the hotels, it will give them an opportunity to eat at multiple restaurants.”

Architect Scott Guidry of Designshop said they hope to break ground in 12 to 18 months on Phase 1.

“The development team is really anxious to get started,” Guidry said. “He’s anxious to build his two pieces and the market. The hotel rooms will dictate when they need to come on board.”

Alderman Ben Piper expressed concerns about traffic issues at the intersection and whether the city would be able to improve the roadway by the time Ironwood starts construction.

“We discussed just recently how dangerous that intersection at McIngvale and Green T is with the number of accidents there,” Piper said. “With the timeline you have given, it really puts the city on the clock to get that intersection dealt with.”

Cates said MDOT has already done a traffic study and may recommend adding a roundabout to help with traffic flow. Developers have already agreed to pay for a turn lane on the northside of Green T.

“We are actually putting in our own lane,” Cates said. “It’s a 55 foot wide lane. It will add a turn lane to that area which they don’t have now.”

Mayor Chip Johnson said he recently had a meeting with MDOT District 2 Engineer Mitch Turner and was informed that the state may pay for the design.

“He told me he is fairly certain he has some money in the highway safety account - not to build it - but for MDOT to do the design,” Johnson said. “So maybe we will get $300,000 of design work done through MDOT and that will get us started. That doesn’t give us the money to build it, but it will get us started on it.”

Alderman Andrew Miller said knowing that the development will break ground in 18 months may be just the push the city needs.

“Seeing this is on the horizon in 18 months, it will really help us with our decision making instead of pushing this down the line further,” Miller said.

Johnson added that the whole reason Hernando annexed the exits along I-69 and I-269 was to help the city grow its commercial tax base.

“When things like this come to those exits, they will be paying 15 percent property tax,” Johnson said. “They will be generating sales taxes. That’s the nodes where we can put those things that generate this tax revenues and the services that a lot of our citizens want. There will be restaurants that show up that they have been asking about, and it helps us keep our property taxes where they are by getting these types of things that pay those higher rates. This seems, in my mind, to fit the bill.”

Developers also agreed to the city’s request to strike car washes, cannabis stores, and radio/tv/cell towers from the allowable uses.

“It’s a wonderful development,” Cates said. “I like living down the street from it. It will keep us from going to Memphis as much and will be a nice improvement to that scrappy little piece of land that was leftover.”
https://www.desototimes.com/news/her...2a33fdfd2.html

Mississippi State University’s College of Architecture, Art and Design (CAAD) is undergoing a $50 million set of renovations

Mississippi State University’s College of Architecture, Art and Design (CAAD) is undergoing a $50 million set of renovations with developments focused around Howell Hall.

These changes aim to enhance CAAD’s infrastructure, foster a more cohesive environment and improve the overall experience for students and faculty. The changes include a complete renovation of Howell Hall, which currently houses the Department of Building Construction Science.

Angi Bourgeois, who serves as dean of the College of Architecture, Art and Design, said that these changes are bringing the college together more than ever.

“This is a program-altering opportunity for the three units being given new and upgraded space,” Bourgeois said of the architecture, construction and interior design programs. “This will be the first time that the very, very interconnected departments within our college will be physically within proximity.”

While the dates remain unclear, Howell Hall’s construction is expected to start by the end of this year and be completed in 2026. The renovations will begin after the completion of the Bost Drive expansion. When completed, this expansion will connect Barr Avenue to Bailey Howell Drive and replace the portion of College View Drive between Giles Hall, Howell Hall and McArthur Hall.

In addition to the renovations, an extension is being built on the south wing of Howell Hall. The only sections of the building remaining the same will be the historic exterior. Many indoor components, including the ceramics and photography labs, the light room and the administrative offices, will see updates to reflect the modernity of the programs housed inside. Bourgeois said that the renovations will be extensive.

“It will retain historic characteristics with added technologies,” Bourgeois said. “Everything will be touched.”

The programs housed in Howell Hall will be temporarily moved to the currently vacant Hunter Henry Center during renovations. Small renovations will also be made to the Hunter Henry Center to make it a viable temporary workspace for CAAD.

Additionally, a courtyard will be built between Giles Hall and Howell Hall. Executive Director of Campus Services Saunders Ramsey said the goal is to make CAAD feel like a miniature art district.

“I think it ties really nicely with the Cotton District and the energy that they have in the city,” Ramsey said, “so I’m really excited about this connection of this creative district all the way back into the city.”

Funding for the project comes from state bonds allocated by the Mississippi Legislature. Les Potts, the interim vice president of the Division of Finance and Administration, said the project has taken a long time to develop.

“It has been contemplated and planned for over several years,” Potts said. “A lot of these capital projects, they take a lot longer than one would realize to plan and then execute.”

Bourgeois explained that many of the buildings in CAAD are in great need of this expansion.

“It’s a wonderful testament to the support that the university has given to the college to expand its footprint to create the most state-of-art programs,” Bourgeois said. “We are very excited.”
https://reflector-online.com/29155/n...n-renovations/

MSU engineering receives $10.5 million to expand education, construct new lab

The IDEE lab is a cooperative space designed to be accessible to all mechanical engineering students.

Dalton “Ross” Smith, an instructor in Mississippi State University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, has received $10.5 million to expand engineering education through the Advancements in Manufacturing Upscaling (AiM UP) program and a new laboratory space.
Smith said the AiM UP program has three different stages. The first phase begins on campus where MSU is revamping its mechanical and industrial engineering curriculums.
Smith said MSU is working with companies that hire MSU engineering alumni to learn what these companies want from their new hires.
“Everything that we are going to be doing is creating training based off exactly industry input and industry feedback,” Smith said. “And from there we’re going to update and modernize our education, so when students come, either within IC or ME programs, they’re going to be taking courses that’s going to be directly related to hands-on activities influenced in partnership directly with companies.”
Smith said MSU is also creating a new advanced manufacturing lab space called the Innovation Design and Engineering Educational Laboratory (IDEE Lab). Located in the Patterson Engineering Laboratories building, the IDEE Lab will house a variety of manufacturing equipment including computer numerical control systems, plasma tables and 3D printers.
The IDEE Lab will give students exposure to equipment that is commonly used in the industry, preparing students for their future careers. The lab will be used for instruction and as a free space for engineering students to work on personal projects. Smith is hopeful that the IDEE Lab will be available to students sometime during the spring semester.
Joseph Tillery, a senior mechanical engineering major at MSU, said that hands-on learning is vital for developing engineers.
“The value of working hands-on and understanding the problem and going through the manufacturing process while you’re making something is just priceless as far as developing engineers to work better and understand the problems that they’re going to come into when they go to the workforce,” Tillery said.




The second phase of the AiM UP program is to provide training for engineers already in the workforce. MSU is partnering with East Mississippi Community College to offer two courses, one on automation and robotics and another on composites.
Christopher Bounds is the director of the MSU Advanced Composites Institute (ACI). Bounds said the ACI offers camps and after-school programs for middle and high school students. In the high school program, young engineers can design and create real projects like cornhole boards and bicycles. Some funding from the AiM UP program will support training at ACI.
For two-year and four-year college students, ACI offers a boot-camp style program that takes place over a couple of weeks where students can learn essential skills. ACI also recommends students to companies in the industry and ensures that these students have the job-specific training they need before starting their careers.
ACI also trains engineers already in the workforce. ACI partners with companies like Boeing who will send their employees to ACI to receive job-specific training free of charge.
The third phase of the AiM UP program involves engaging with K-12 students in hopes of inspiring them to pursue careers in engineering and manufacturing.
Tonya McCall, director at the MSU Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems Extension, is leading the K-12 engagement aspect of AiM UP. McCall said that the community outreach is still being planned, but that it will include inviting K-12 graders to campus to see the labs and technology that MSU engineering students use as well as visiting local schools to showcase engineering tech.
McCall said that the goal is to expose K-12 students to modern manufacturing.
“What we hear from industry are concerns about what their future pipeline of workers looks like down the road, so we’re trying our best, as a small part of this effort, to try to make sure that we are reaching those young minds,” McCall said.
https://reflector-online.com/12508/n...ruct-new-lab/#

New OPD headquarters taking shape

The early phases of the $12 million project to renovate the new Oxford Police Department headquarters are well underway, signaling a significant milestone for the department.

In 2021, the Oxford Board of Aldermen approved a plan to turn the former Oxford Enterprise Center into a new police headquarters to help accommodate the rapid growth of the department in recent years.

Construction continues on new OPD. Photo by Alyssa Schnugg

With the demolition phase completed, construction crews are now focused on laying out the interior walls and beginning to put in drywall.

“We’re moving quickly on that,” said Chief Jeff McCutchen. “If you knew the blueprint going in, you can walk in the building now and understand the layout and where the rooms are.”

The new headquarters, spanning 40,000 square feet, promises to bring the entire department under one roof, fostering greater connectivity and efficiency. McCutchen said OPD should be able to move into the new building around January or February of 2025.

Central to the design is the dispatch center, described by McCutchen as the nucleus of the building.

“Everything is built around dispatch,” McCutchen said. “It’s really our central communication piece.”

Other features include dedicated spaces for victim services, complete with a conference room and playroom for children.

“We want to make sure everyone feels welcome and supported,” McCutchen said, highlighting plans for a volunteer internship program and improved evidence-processing facilities.

The training building will be connected to the main building, offering more space for classes and events.

The department also embraces a modern approach to technology, focusing on mobility and collaboration.

“We don’t want a lot of standard desktop computers,” McCutchen said.

Instead, the design incorporates a coffee shop-style patrol area, with flexible workstations to accommodate the dynamic nature of police work.

“Our profession is so mobile; we aren’t coming to the office to do a lot of things. You want to be in the field with your officers,” he said. “We’re going to have stand-up stations and round tables where officers can work together and work on reports. or you can stand and work. There are a lot of neat little nuances to help us be efficient, but also keep us healthy and connected.”

As progress continues, anticipation is building within the department and the community, McCutchen said.

“It’s gonna be great,” McCutchen said. “Just to have everybody together for the first time in a number of years is going to be super special.”

The state Legislature has granted Oxford about $6 million in grants for the building. OPD also received a $200,000 federal grant for equipment for the building. The city is paying the remaining costs using a bond.

As part of the project, the current OPD headquarters will be turned into a facility for the Oxford Parks Commission.

The post New OPD headquarters taking shape appeared first on The Oxford Eagle .
https://www.newsbreak.com/oxford-ms/...s-taking-shape

Historic Properties Commission approves changes to new Humanities Hub

Oxford’s Courthouse Square Historic Properties Commission approved minor changes to the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council’s new Humanities Hub at their meeting on April 1.

Changes included lowering the roofline by one foot to match that of the Powerhouse and the removal of
multicolored sun shades.

Wayne Andrews, director of the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council, says the hub will serve as an “incubator space” for creatives in North Mississippi, providing the tools necessary for transplant entrepreneurs and artists to launch small businesses, create art, and even stay the night.

The Humanities Hub will take the place of the large storage shed currently found in front of the Powerhouse. The Yoknapatawpha Arts Council served 223,000 artists and patrons in 2023. The Humanities Hub will increase the council’s ability to provide to the North Mississippi community, with more programming and event availability.

Due to rising residential and commercial rent prices within the Oxford community, it is often difficult for creatives to find spaces where they can meet and collaborate. Amenities at the hub will relieve some of this struggle with larger meeting spaces and studios, two small theaters, a coworking space, and three residency apartments.

The Powerhouse hosts everything from wedding receptions to summer camps, theatrical productions and film showings, all of which will have more space to breathe and grow when construction is complete.

Local artist and educator Andi Bedsworth organizes and teaches 11 weeks of summer camps to local children. She says she and the Powerhouse have a “love-hate relationship,” as the logistics of the space require her to set up and put away her Powerhouse classroom space each week to allow for other events to take place.

“It’s a real tricky space,” Bedsworth said. “I’m in my fifties now, so it’s getting harder, just the manual labor of pushing carts around, setting up and taking down.”

Bedsworth says the arts council has also made sacrifices to accommodate her summer camps, including allowing children to use staff bathrooms. “We take up every inch of the space,” she said. “I mean, the kids nap in the theater. It’s a compromise on all sides.”

Antonio Tarrell, filmmaker and Oxford Film Festival board member, works between Oxford, Bruce, Mississippi, and Little Rock, Arkansas. Residential space in the hub will alleviate some of his and fellow filmmakers’ hotel and travel costs, as they frequently travel to collaborate on film projects.

Their shared film equipment is currently confined to a small closet, but the new space will allow them more storage space, computers, and the internet, making the collaborative filmmaking process easier.

“Having that building — that is just going to make Oxford 10 times better,” Tarrell said.

Because the Powerhouse is a publicly owned historic building, the addition falls under the local Historic Properties Commission’s jurisdiction despite being located away from the Square.

According to Stuart Povall, chairman of the Courthouse Square Historic Properties Commission, additions to historic buildings “should be clearly discernible from the historic portion of the building and should be designed, in a way, to be “of its time.” “In other words,” he said, “not try and mimic historic aesthetics.”

Such additions also require approval from the Mississippi Secretary of the Interiors Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, which recommended the changes approved locally on April 1.

Original plans for the Humanities Hub were approved in June 2023 following an extensive visioning study completed by the arts council. The commission expressed great enthusiasm for the improvements.

“They’re small, but I think these are great improvements,” said Laurie Beth Ellis, commission member.

Construction on the building will not begin until the arts council raises $750,000 to match that they received from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Community donations
https://www.newsbreak.com/oxford-ms/...humanities-hub

Plato’s Closet now open for shopping

Plato’s Closet is now open for shopping and its owners are celebrating with the Oxford community all weekend.

The doors opened today with the first 25 people getting a swag bag with give-aways. There is a drawing for a Lululemon belt bag and Oxicles frozen treats at the store today.

On Friday, the first 25 people will get a swag bag and there will be a drawing for a Kait Cup.

On Saturday, draw for a $100 shopping spree from the Saturday WOW items pool. The first 25 folks get a swag bag and there will be a drawing for a Magnolia Soap Company gift box.

On Sunday, the first 25 people get a swag bag and there will be a drawing for a Nails & Cocktails gift card.

The store, owned locally by Kelly Wilson, Steve May and David Onstead, has been buying clothes since February to get the store stocked and ready to open to shoppers.

The store buys clothes from the current style that are in great condition, from all seasons during the year. They also buy gently used shoes, handbags and accessories for guys and girls. The target customers are teens through people in their late 20s or early 30s.

Plato’s Closet is located at 2305 W. Jackson Ave., Suite 205.

Read more at: https://www.oxfordeagle.com/2024/02/...to-start-soon/

Chicken Salad Chick to open new restaurant in Mississippi

US-based fast-casual restaurant chain Chicken Salad Chick is set to enhance its presence in Mississippi by opening a new venue in Ridgeland, Mississippi, US.

Set to open on 7 May 2024, the venue will be the brand’s tenth location in the state.

The new location is situated in the Renaissance at Colony Park at 1000 Highland Colony Parkway and will feature an outdoor patio.

This latest addition to the Chicken Salad Chick portfolio in Mississippi is the fourth venture by local entrepreneurs Blake and Shae Fuller.

Since launching their first restaurant in Flowood in 2018, the husband-and-wife team have expanded their operations to include locations in Madison, Hattiesburg, and now Ridgeland.
https://www.verdictfoodservice.com/n...k-mississippi/