Greater Starkville Development Partnership officials want to create a Highway 12 business improvement district that they say would transform the corridor with various infrastructure projects — including sidewalks, crosswalks, a landscaped median, improved curb cuts and masthead intersections — from Mississippi State University to the Highway 25 bypass.
The Partnership is gathering petition signatures from owners of Highway 12’s commercial property in support of the project, said CEO Jennifer Gregory. Once 20 percent of property owners — residential parcels are excluded — sign the petition, planning sessions and public hearings will be scheduled, and a mail-in election will be set no more than 60 days from the hearing date.
Approximately 34 signatures from the 167 Highway 12 property owners are needed to move the process into the next phase, Gregory said, and officials are one-third of the way to its goal.
The Partnership does not yet have a cost estimate for the improvements, but Gregory said public planning sessions will allow property owners to shape the overall budget and assessment means.
Funding the BID would require some sort of tax increase for business owners. A similar 2-mill levy exists for downtown Starkville business owners, and the additional revenue — about $7,500 annually — pays for landscaping, maintenance and decorations.
The Partnership, Gregory said, is considering a similar financing plan or one that assesses a fee based on the square footage of a parcel.
If funding is secured, a bond process would pay for upfront improvements, while a certain amount of revenue will be pigeonholed each year for maintenance.
The finances will be handled by a district management group — a board comprised of Highway 12’s commercial property owners — housed within the chamber of commerce.
The BID will be only be approved if 60 percent of the participating eligible property owners, the board of aldermen and the Mississippi Legislature support the plan.
If all local entities back the initiative, Gregory said she hopes to deliver the BID to state lawmakers in March for approval.
“We’ve heard regularly from Highway 12 business owners about how they want the type of community and improvements downtown has. We met with owners, and they said one of the things they wanted to improve was the aesthetics of the area,” she said. “We’re very early in the process, and it’s truly just a petition that allows the process to get started and for discussions to continue. We’re not going to be able to formulate a budget until we know people are on board.”
One variable that could impact improvements is the state Department of Transportation’s Highway 12 traffic study, previously announced by Northern District Transportation Commissioner Mike Tagert.
The Partnership could see some of its own planned improvements handled by MDOT depending on what the state agrees to complete, Gregory said.
“We’ve met with MDOT and are hopeful our ideas are lining up together. Construction, landscaping and other work could then be done in lockstep, which will realize cost savings,” she said.
Officials have turned their focus to improving the Highway 12 corridor after MDOT resurfaced the lengthy of Highway 182 within city limits. Another MDOT project will soon redesign Russell Street, a key corridor that intersects with Highway 12 and links MSU to downtown.
Another project, Grand Bullyvard, received a $750,000 state allocation for planning and pre-construction activities. That effort is expected to redesign the portion of Highway 12 between Spring and Russell streets.
“This is placemaking. Studies have shown that aesthetic improvements and traffic-calming mechanisms encourage people to be in a place. We feel like that’s the success story behind downtown’s revitalization,” Gregory said. “We hope MDOT will make an investment on Highway 12, but we feel like the private sector also has the ability to improve its own area. Public-private partnerships are key to long-term improvements and success.”
Mayor Parker Wiseman said the BID represents a “worthwhile investment of time, money and energy” by all involved.
“Due to the fact that Highway 12 is the most traveled and has the most volume of commercial activity, it is of great importance to the civic life of our community. I’m pleased to see the business community leading this effort. They have a vested interest in making it better for all of us,” he said. “Strong communities grow and thrive when an active citizenry takes it upon themselves to push for advancement.”
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 37 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.