AN ADVISORY SERVICES PANEL REPORT Downtown Meridian ...uli.org/wp-content/uploads/ULI-Documents/2004MeridianReport.pdf · conversion of the Rosenbaum Building into condo-miniums,

A N A D V I S O R Y S E R V I C E S P A N E L R E P O R T

Downtown MeridianMississippi

Urban LandInstitute$

Downtown MeridianMississippiA Strategy for Redevelopment

June 6–11, 2004An Advisory Services Panel Report

ULI–the Urban Land Institute1025 Thomas Jefferson Street, N.W.Suite 500 WestWashington, D.C. 20007-5201

An Advisory Services Panel Report2

ULI–the Urban Land Institute is a non-profit research and education organiza-tion that promotes responsible leadership in the use of land in order to enhance

the total environment.

The Institute maintains a membership represent-ing a broad spectrum of interests and sponsors awide variety of educational programs and forumsto encourage an open exchange of ideas and shar-ing of experience. ULI initiates research thatanticipates emerging land use trends and issuesand proposes creative solutions based on thatresearch; provides advisory services; and pub-lishes a wide variety of materials to disseminateinformation on land use and development.

Established in 1936, the Institute today has 23,000members and associates from 80 countries, repre-senting the entire spectrum of the land use anddevelopment disciplines. Professionals represented

include developers, builders, property owners,investors, architects, public officials, planners,real estate brokers, appraisers, attorneys, engi-neers, financiers, academics, students, and librari-ans. ULI relies heavily on the experience of itsmembers. It is through member involvement andinformation resources that ULI has been ableto set standards of excellence in developmentpractice. The Institute has long been recognizedas one of America’s most respected and widelyquoted sources of objective information on urbanplanning, growth, and development.

This Advisory Services panel report is intendedto further the objectives of the Institute and tomake authoritative information generally avail-able to those seeking knowledge in the field ofurban land use.

Richard M. RosanPresident

About ULI–the Urban Land Institute

©2004 by ULI–the Urban Land Institute1025 Thomas Jefferson Street, N.W. Suite 500 WestWashington, D.C. 20007-5201

All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of the whole or anypart of the contents without written permission of the copy-right holder is prohibited.

ULI Catalog Number: ASM078

Cover illustration ©Laurin McCracken: The panel’s vision forthe city center plaza.

Meridian, Mississippi, June 6–11, 2004 3

The goal of ULI’s Advisory Services Programis to bring the finest expertise in the realestate field to bear on complex land use plan-ning and development projects, programs,

and policies. Since 1947, this program has assem-bled well over 400 ULI-member teams to helpsponsors find creative, practical solutions forissues such as downtown redevelopment, landmanagement strategies, evaluation of develop-ment potential, growth management, communityrevitalization, brownfields redevelopment, militarybase reuse, provision of low-cost and affordablehousing, and asset management strategies, amongother matters. A wide variety of public, private,and nonprofit organizations have contracted forULI’s Advisory Services.

Each panel team is composed of highly qualifiedprofessionals who volunteer their time to ULI.They are chosen for their knowledge of the paneltopic and screened to ensure their objectivity.ULI panel teams are interdisciplinary and typi-cally include several developers, a landscapearchitect, a planner, a market analyst, a financeexpert, and others with the niche expertiseneeded to address a given project. ULI teamsprovide a holistic look at development problems.Each panel is chaired by a respected ULI mem-ber with previous panel experience.

The agenda for a five-day panel assignment is in-tensive. It includes an in-depth briefing day com-posed of a tour of the site and meetings with spon-sor representatives; a day of hour-long interviewsof typically 50 to 75 key community representa-tives; and two days of formulating recommenda-tions. Many long nights of discussion precede thepanel’s conclusions. On the final day on site, thepanel makes an oral presentation of its findingsand conclusions to the sponsor. A written reportis prepared and published.

Because the sponsoring entities are responsiblefor significant preparation before the panel’s visit,including sending extensive briefing materials toeach member and arranging for the panel to meetwith key local community members and stake-holders in the project under consideration, partic-

ipants in ULI’s five-day panel assignments areable to make accurate assessments of a sponsor’sissues and to provide recommendations in a com-pressed amount of time.

A major strength of the program is ULI’s uniqueability to draw on the knowledge and expertise ofits members, including land developers and own-ers, public officials, academicians, representativesof financial institutions, and others. In fulfillmentof the mission of the Urban Land Institute, thisAdvisory Services panel report is intended to pro-vide objective advice that will promote the re-sponsible use of land to enhance the environment.

ULI Program StaffRachelle L. LevittExecutive Vice President, Policy and Practice

Mary Beth CorriganVice President, Advisory Services and Policy Programs

Nancy Zivitz SussmanSenior Associate, Advisory Services

Nicholas GabelAssociate, Advisory Services

Jason BellPanel Coordinator, Advisory Services

Yvonne StantonAdministrative Assistant

Nancy H. StewartDirector, Book Program

Stella TarnayManuscript Editor

Betsy VanBuskirkArt Director

Martha LoomisDesktop Publishing Specialist/Graphics

Kim RuschGraphics

Diann Stanley-AustinDirector, Publishing Operations

About ULI Advisory Services


On behalf of the Urban Land Institute (ULI)panel members would like to thank thesponsor, the city of Meridian, for invitingthem to assist in the planning of Meridian’s

downtown revitalization. Special thanks are ex-tended to Mayor John Robert Smith for his visionand leadership in involving ULI in the downtownrevival, and to the Riley Foundation for its finan-cial support of the ULI panel and the numerousredevelopment projects in Meridian. Their dedi-cation, vision, and leadership are a true asset tothe city.

The panel also would like to thank Marueen Loft-son, assistant for governmental affairs; ConnieRoyal, cultural affairs coordinator; Ken Storms,chief administrative officer; Don Farrar, director

of community development; Ronald Gaither, cityplanner; and Sharon Smith, main street manager;for their countless hours of preparation and assis-tance. The ULI panel members and staff truly ap-preciate their hard work and hospitality.

Special thanks go to the more than 90 communitymembers who volunteered their time, thoughts,and experiences during the interview process.This group included government officials, resi-dents, business leaders, and property owners.Their insights provided valuable information thatwas critical to the completion of the panel’s recom-mendations.

Acknowledgments


ULI Panel and Project Staff 6

Foreword: The Panel’s Assignment 7

Overview and Summary of Recommendations 9

Market Potential 11

Planning and Design 17

Development Strategies 26

Implementation Strategies 32

Conclusion 39

About the Panel 40

Contents


Panel ChairLaurin McCrackenMarketing & Strategies OfficerLooney Ricks Kiss ArchitectsMemphis, Tennessee

Panel MembersMark AlbrechtEconomic Development ManagerThe City of AkronAkron, Ohio

Kenneth T. BacchusPresident/Chief Executive OfficerHousing and Economic Development Financial Corporation

Kansas City, Missouri

Michael BeyardSenior Resident Fellow, Retail and Entertainment

ULI–the Urban Land InstituteWashington, D.C.

Satyendra S. HujaDirector of Strategic PlanningCity of CharlottesvilleCharlottesville, Virginia

Mark McConnel, AIAPrincipalMark McConnel & Associates, PCRoanoke, Virginia

Nathan MoederDirector of ResearchThe London Group Realty Advisors, Inc.San Diego, California

ULI Project DirectorNicholas GabelAssociate, Advisory Services

ULI On-Site CoordinatorJason BellPanel Coordinator, Advisory Services

ULI Panel and Project Staff

Meridian, Mississippi, June 6–11, 20047

At the invitation of the city of Meridian, a ULIAdvisory Services panel was convened to evaluatethe ongoing revitalization of downtown Meridian.With the redevelopment of Union Station, theconversion of the Rosenbaum Building into condo-miniums, the creation of the Riley Education andPerforming Arts Center, and the reopening ofWeidmann’s restaurant, Meridian is at the begin-ning of a great transformation.

Background Meridian is the largest city in Lauderdale County,and the largest in eastern Mississippi, with a pop-ulation of over 40,000 residents. Due to its strate-gic location between New Orleans and Atlanta,Meridian once served as an important hub fortrade, shipping, and industry—and was for a timeMississippi’s largest city. Meridian has nine recog-nized historic districts and neighborhoods, includ-ing the largest collection of historic buildings in adowntown district in the state.

As a regional center for eastern Mississippi andwestern Alabama, Meridian is home to the area’smajor retail centers, cultural amenities, and med-ical facilities. The three area hospitals, Riley,Anderson, and Rush, are economic engines forMeridian and the surrounding region. They arethe city’s largest employers and draw thousandsof people in from the surrounding areas for med-ical treatment. These institutions have a tremen-dous impact on the downtown area since they areall located within the city core.

The downtown district is slowly being reborn as a small influx of new residents and businessesmoves in. While a small, stable group of busi-nesses has been located in the downtown for over100 years, recently completed residential projectsare catalyzing new restaurants, shops, and ser-vices in the core. These are setting a foundationfor its future growth.

Foreword: The Panel’s Assignment

Meridian is a regionalcenter for eastern Missis-sippi and westernAlabama.

Location map.

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45

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80

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59

55

59

CLARKE

COVINGTON

FORREST

GREENE

HINDS

JASPER

JEFFERSONDAVIS

JONES

KEMPER

LAUDERDALE

LAWRENCE

LEAKE

COLN

MADISON

MARION

NESHOBA

NEWTON

RANKIN

SCOTT

SIMPSON

SMITH

WAYNE

CHOCTAW

CLARKE

GREENE

HALE

MARENGO

SUMTER

WASHINGTON

JacksonMeridian

Brookhaven

Canton

nton

Laurel

ty

A L A B A M A

Jackson

Biloxi

Greenville

Gulfport

Hattiesburg

Meridian

Pascagoula

Vicksburg

Canton

Clarksdale

Cleveland

Corinth

Greenwood

Laurel

McComb

Natchez

Picayune

Southaven

Starkville

Tupelo

Yazoo City

G u l f o f M e x i c o

A L A B A M A

A R K A N S A S

L O U I S I A N A

T E N N E S S E E

M I S S I S S I P P IM I S S I S S I P P I


Meridianites are in the enviable position of livingin one of America’s most affordable cities—a citywhere housing costs and sales taxes are well be-low the national average. The quality of life hashistorically been very high and continues to im-prove. The panel saw a lot of evidence that it istime for the citizens of the city, the county, and thesurrounding area to come together to celebratethe many positive things that are happening in thecommunity, and especially in the downtown.

The panel looked at downtown in relation to thearea’s overall retail growth. Meridian, like manycities, has experienced an exodus of major retail-ing to car-oriented sites outside its downtown.This does not mean that Meridian has no down-town retail. It just means that the character ofdowntown retailing is changing. Big-box retailerson the urban periphery contribute to downtowngrowth by providing tax dollars, and by attracting

customers from a broader geographic area. Merid-ian can take advantage of this by drawing regionalvisitors into the city’s vibrant core—one that cele-brates business, history, and the arts.

Meridian’s downtown is unique in many respects.Its size, its wonderful stock of historically sig-nificant buildings, and its new and future culturalfacilities are all assets to development. The down-town area abounds with opportunities for developerswho can respond to the changing demographics ofthe nation and the city. These opportunities are asvaried as the cultural development currently un-derway and projects that meet the residentialneeds of young professionals coming to serve inMeridian’s burgeoning health care institutions.

The AssignmentThe challenge for the panel was to look at currentand pending redevelopment projects to determinewhich will have the greatest long-term positiveimpact on the city and therefore, where the cityshould place its support. The panel also was askedto investigate follow-up impact of the projects interms of peripheral and long-term development;to recommend a strategy for redeveloping theAfrican American Historic Business District; andto recommend additional downtown developmentto support the new cultural institutions. It is evi-dent in the report that panel members addressedthese concerns and went beyond them to suggestactivities—both physical and organizational—thatwill benefit Meridian’s downtown development.

Mayor John Robert Smithshares his vision of thedowntown with panelmembers.


Following an intense week of evaluatingdowntown redevelopment and interviewingmany citizens of Meridian, the panel wasable to frame several issues that pertain to

the city core and to formulate recommendations.Panel members created a development and imple-mentation strategy to connect and enhance thenumerous pieces of the downtown revitalizationpuzzle. Their recommendations are summarizedbelow and described in more detail throughout thereport.

Market Potential Downtown is beginning to re-emerge as the heartof the city and to claim its place as the center ofarts and culture. It is once again becoming thegathering place for the entire community. Withthe redevelopment of the Grand Opera House andthe completion of the new Riley Education andPerforming Arts Center, a tremendous number ofsupporting services will be needed. Meridian isfortunate to have a community that championssuch cultural amenities, and institutions such asMississippi State University and the Riley Foun-dation committed to their stability and success.

The panel recommends that the Threefoot Build-ing be reserved for hotel development should de-mand materialize upon completion of the RileyCenter. The panel also recommends that the cen-ter’s conference space be marketed and managedby a national hotel chain company. This will helpto maximize its exposure and the number of users.

To capitalize on new and future development,Meridian must begin to strategically position an-chor attractions in the downtown area. This willprovide catalyst activity and will generate foottraffic between anchors. The expanded traffic willgive retailers maximum exposure to downtownvisitors. The panel recommends that the JimmieRodgers Museum be located between the railroad

The new 451-space park-ing garage will providemuch needed parking forthe Riley Education andPerforming Arts Center.

tracks and Front Street at 26th Avenue in orderto create an anchor for the southwest section ofdowntown.

Community Design As development patterns have shifted nationwideto the edges of cities along major transportationcorridors, Meridian is faced with the all-too-com-mon challenge of revitalizing a struggling urbancore. The city’s incredible stock of historic andarchitecturally significant buildings points totremendous potential. Meridian is fortunate tohave strong public investment in arts and enter-tainment amenities. These will be key to catalyz-ing private investment downtown.

The panel recommends that the city considerchanging the confusing one-way street pattern tothe original two-way system to further facilitategrowth and investment in the downtown. Whilethis will require a significant amount of coordina-tion between the city and downtown business, it isessential to revitalizing the urban core. The panelalso recommends that efforts be made to create adistinctive entrance to downtown in order to givethe area a stronger sense of identity and place.

Overview and Summary ofRecommendations


Implementation Strategies Meridian has had measured success in attractingoutside funding to downtown redevelopment ini-tiatives. The Riley Center already is a tremen-dous boost to downtown revitalization and rep-resents the cornerstone on which additionalredevelopment can occur. The city must aggres-sively continue to seek outside funding oppor-tunities from federal, state, and other regionalsources, both public and private. National founda-tions, new federal dollars, and state and regionalfunding programs are critical to supplementinglocal resources in order for Meridian to realize itsambitious downtown revival.

Development Strategies The panel recommends that the city of Meridianutilize its strengths to aid in downtown’s revital-ization. This means building on the unprecedentedcommunity support for arts and culture that iscurrently driving downtown revitalization, andbuilding on the rich base of historic and architec-turally significant buildings located downtown.

The panel has set forth a strategy to assist thecity in its leadership role. This strategy includesthe implementation of a Percent for Arts programto provide money for pubic art. The panel also rec-ommends the creation of a downtown City Walk tolink all of the area’s cultural attractions, and pre-sents a plan to revitalize the African AmericanHistoric Business District.

Panelists Mark McConneland Stayendra Singh Hujadiscuss downtown hous-ing opportunities whileadmiring the renovatedRosenbaum Building.


Market Potential

Meridian is the largest city in eastern Mis-sissippi and home to the region’s majormedical facilities, retail establishments,and cultural institutions. This critical

mass of destinations, combined with proximityto a major interstate highway (I-20/59), offersMeridian an excellent opportunity to attract vis-itors to the city and specifically to downtown.With a number of catalytic projects currently underconstruction or in planning, downtown Meridian ison the verge of a great regeneration.

The role of the panel’s market potential team wasthreefold: to assess local and regional retail trendsand assess their impact on downtown revitaliza-tion; to analyze a number of redevelopment proj-ects and evaluate their compatibility with the re-development of the Riley Education and PerformingArts Center; and to suggest compatible new uses.The team addressed these issues and recommendeduses, timing, and development approaches for re-lated projects, as described in this section.

The panel recognizes that the path to a successfuldowntown revitalization is lined with many chal-lenges. However, members believe that with strongleadership, a commitment of time, dedicated finan-cial resources and strict adherence to a strategicplan, Meridian can recapture its vibrant and cele-brated history.

Threefoot Building The Threefoot Building, constructed in the late1920s, is Meridian’s tallest building. This 14-storystructure is currently vacant. A high-quality hotelthat will cater to demand generated by the adja-cent Riley Center, scheduled for completion inDecember 2005, is proposed as a reuse.

The panel has reviewed the studies previouslyprepared for the proposed hotel and has conductedan independent evaluation of the Meridian hotelmarket. The panel’s conclusion is that a develop-

ment opportunity could materialize once the RileyCenter is completed. However, no compelling evi-dence exists in the current market for a 200-roomhotel.

Conferences and performances at the Riley Centerare expected to generate future hotel demand. Thepanel has concluded that support from businesses,tourists, the medical industry, and patrons loyal toa specific hotel brand is likely to be minimal—ifpresent at all—in the early stages of downtownredevelopment. Therefore, the Riley Center is themain contributor of demand. This represents asignificant financial risk to the hotel. In general,the panel found that existing study projections forhotel demand were ill-defined.

Mississippi State University (MSU) projectionsfor hotel demand generated by the opera andRiley Center conference events suggest that de-mand only exists for an additional 67 hotel rooms,assuming an occupancy rate of 70 percent. Figure1 depicts this demand and also shows the level re-quired to support a 100-room and 200-room hotel.The MSU projections call for 17,000 annual roomnights, which would support 67 rooms. However,a 100- and 200-room hotel would require 25,550and 51,100 annual room nights, respectively. A sig-nificant level of demand needs to be accounted forto justify more intensive hotel development.

Figure 1Market Demand: Proposed Threefoot Hotel

MSU Required Support Required SupportProjected 100-Room Hotel 200-Room Hotel

Total Rooms 67 100 200

Room Nights Supplied 24,455 36,500 73,000

Room Nights Demanded 17,000 25,500 51,100

Occupancy Rate 70% 70% 70%

Source: Mississippi State University.


Based on the most recent HVS report and SmithTravel Research data, hotel demand for the ap-proximately 800 hotel rooms in the market hasdecreased an average of 1.5 percent annually be-tween 1997 and 2003 (see Figure 2). The currentmarket occupancy rate is estimated to be in thelow 60 percent range—a “break-even” occupancyrate for hotels.

The panel cautions that occupancy needs to be inthe low- to mid-70 percent range to justify newhotel construction. The addition of the estimated17,000 room nights expected to be generated bythe Riley Center, coupled with a modest increaseof other demand (1,700 room nights) represents atotal annual demand increase of 18,700 room nights.

This would increase the occupancy rate to only61.4 percent.

In order for a 200-room hotel to succeed at theThreefoot, it would have to capture demand fromalready existing hotels. This is known as market“penetration.” The Threefoot hotel would ulti-mately have to penetrate the market at a rate of130 percent to achieve an acceptable first-yearoccupancy rate of approximately 70 percent (seeFigure 3). While the proposed Threefoot projectrepresents a higher level of hotel quality for Me-ridian, this level of penetration is significant, par-ticularly when the 200-room hotel will represent20 percent of the market supply.

Figure 2Competitive Set Trends and Forecast, 1997–2009

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004Actual Actual Actual Actual Actual Estimated Estimated Forecast

Hotel Rooms 839 817 785 795 815 815 815 1,015

Market Supply2 306,250 298,032 286,694 290,175 297,443 297,443 297,443 297,443

Market Demand2 200,878 205,480 188,945 178,655 182,611 182,611 182,611 182,611

Market Occupancy 65.6% 68.9% 69.5% 61.6% 61.4% 61.4% 61.4% 61.4%

Demand Change – 2.29% -8.05% -5.45% 2.21% 0.00% 0.00% –

Riley Center Demand2 – – – – – – – –

Miscellaneous Additional Room Nights3 – – – – – – – –

Average Demand Change – – – – – – -1.50% –

1. 200 additional rooms at Threefoot Hotel by 2005.2. Room nights.3. Projected 10 percent.Source: HVS, Smith Travel Research.

Figure 3Threefoot Hotel: Market Penetration, 2004–2009

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009200 Rooms Forecast Forecast Forecast Forecast Forecast Forecast

Available Room Nights – – 73,000 73,000 73,000 73,000

Percent of Market Share 0% 0% 19.7% 19.7% 19.7% 19.7%

Property Fair Share Room Occupancy – – 39,671 39,671 39,671 39,671

Property Actual Room Occupancy – – 51,572 57,572 57,572 57,572

Penetration – – 130% 130% 130% 130%

Yield – – 160% 160% 160% 160%

Source: HVS, Smith Travel Research.


Kress Building The Kress Building is located adjacent to theRiley Education and Performing Arts Center.This building is currently vacant except for theground floor, which is used as an activity centerfor teens.

After numerous interviews with the businesscommunity and public officials, the panel has de-termined that there is a high level of interestamong various entities to relocate to the KressBuilding. Their interest is based on the building’sexcellent downtown location and proximity to theRiley Center. Candidates include:

• A proposed magnet school for the arts (visual,performing, and culinary);

• An MSU Technical Research Center (expansionof an existing MSU medical program);

• An MSU hospitality and hotel managementschool; and

• The Institute for Southern Jewish Culture.

While it may not be possible for all of theseprospective users to locate in the Kress Building,the Newberry Building (located between Kressand the Riley Center) is probably a suitable alter-native. Regardless, their interest represents anopportunity to bring a younger population todowntown, depending on the programming of-fered. Further, the location of these entities in thebuildings could facilitate a balance between thearea’s night-time population and daytime usersby creating more reasons to stay downtown afterregular work hours. Similarly, first-time visitorswill be inspired to stay and experience the area’scultural and entertainment attractions.

The Kress Building is well located, only two doorsdown from the Riley Center. Its high ceilings andgenerous spaces are conducive to performancesand rehearsals. Overall, the panel recommendsthat the chosen user of this building be one thatgenerates pedestrian traffic and introduces ayounger population to downtown.

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009Forecast Forecast Forecast Forecast Forecast

1,0151 1,015 1,015 1,015 1,015

297,443 370,443 370,443 370,443 370,443

182,611 201,311 201,311 201,311 201,311

61.4% 54.3% 54.3% 54.3% 54.3%

– – – – –

17,000 17,000 17,000 17,000 17,000

1,700 1,700 1,700 1,700 1,700

– – – – –

The panel’s overarching recommendation is thatthe Threefoot Building be reserved for a hotel,and that the Riley Center make a commitment toutilizing the conference space, food service, andother support services of such as a hotel to enablethe project to move forward in a timely way. Ne-gotiations should continue with the hotel devel-oper during the construction of the Riley Center,and the panel recommends further investigationof the true demand generated by the center.

Development Approach The panel offers the following development ap-proach recommendations for the Threefoot project:

• Allow time for a track record of bookings andfuture reservations at the conference center tomitigate risk and ensure project demand;

• Target hotel completion for 2008, contingent onsustainable market demand;

• Develop the facility as a limited-service, high-quality hotel; and

• Explore joint management options for the con-ference center and catering at the Riley Center.

Another option for mitigating risk is to have themajor demand sources step forward and guaran-tee hotel room nights. These could include thethree hospitals, the Riley Center, and the city. Acombined room night guarantee would act as asubsidy for the hotel if demand is lower than pro-jected. This could be one option for MSU, as theuniversity has indicated an immediate need forhigh quality hotel space for its users of the RileyCenter. This kind of approach would enable thehotel project to move forward because any short-fall in demand will knowingly be subsidized.


Supporting Uses for Riley Center Panel members evaluated the downtown area bysurveying the existing retail and business pres-ence as well as the numerous public projects cur-rently proposed or underway. They concluded thatdowntown presently lacks the amenities and ser-vices needed to support the Riley Center and totransform the area into a dynamic entertainmentdistrict. The panel identified three types of sup-port that will be necessary.

Functional Support Once the Riley Center is complete and has estab-lished operational momentum, demand for a lim-ited-service, high quality hotel is likely to grow. Ifsuch a hotel is developed, the panel recommendsthat the Riley Center explore a joint managementagreement with the hotel operator for cateringand events. This will streamline the operations ofboth facilities, and will provide each with greatermarket exposure.

The panel also recommends the establishment of a magnet school for the arts to support the center.The school will nurture the many young artiststhroughout the region and will draw them intodowntown for performances, rehearsals, clinics,and other educational events.

Audience and Conference Support The current inventory of downtown restaurantsincludes Café Latte, Weidmann’s, and Jean’s. Re-tailers include a men’s clothing store, a women’sclothing store, and a number of furniture stores.Most of these establishments close early and arenot open on certain days. The panel recommendsenhancement of the retail and service base, partic-ularly of eating and drinking establishments, toservice visitors of the Riley Center. Potential ten-ant types include, but are not limited to, restau-rants and cafes with outdoor seating, clubs andpubs, delis and coffee shops, in addition to publicopen space.

The panel counted eight existing or future muse-ums in the downtown area. While this has beencrucial to promoting the arts and cultural historyof Meridian, the panel feels it is time to redirectpubic investment to infrastructure (e.g., streets,

lighting, signs, utilities, etc.) critical to attractingand retaining downtown retail and services.

Public Support The Riley Center, as well as the entire arts andentertainment district, will require public support.One level of support is security and maintenance,which is needed to keep the area safe and clean.The panel also recommends the creation of a Busi-ness and Tourism Welcome Center. The centerconcept is further explained in other sections ofthis report, but one of its functions will be to pro-mote performances, conferences, and other eventsassociated with the Riley Center.

Downtown Gateway and Village FairMall Site Meridian’s retail trade area includes 11 counties(nine in Mississippi and two in Alabama) and en-compasses a population of approximately 310,000.This trade area population generates annual retailexpenditures of approximately $1.2 billion. Whilenot all of the expenditures are spent in Meridian,the city’s central location relative to the surround-ing region makes it the center for major retailing.

Currently the major retail centers in Meridian arethe 730,000 square-foot Bonita Lake Mall and thecenter that includes Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, andLowes. The recent performance of these shoppingcenters south of I-20/59 (Wal-Mart is estimated tobe performing in the $400 per square foot range)suggests that other retail tenants may soon be at-tracted to this regionally strategic location. Thepanel recommends further study to evaluate theretail potential in the regional market. Panelmembers believe that there may be an opportu-nity to attract tenants such as a Target, an elec-tronics store, or a home improvement center tothe vacant Village Fair Mall property.

The physical geography of downtown extendsfrom the city core to I-20/59 along the 22nd Av-enue corridor. Many structures, including the oldVillage Fair Mall, lie vacant. The panel has identi-fied the mall as a crucial entryway to downtown,and recommends that the city encourage its rede-velopment. This will create an attractive “gate-way” to the downtown area and will encourage


ArtMuseum

City Hall

ParkingGarage

TempleTheater

ThreefootBuilding

Kress

Riley Educationand Performing

Arts CenterUnion

Station

RailroadMuseum

DumontPlaza

CohnSheehan

Freedom Park(In Planning)

Railroad

27 th Avenue

26 th Avenue

25th

Ave

nue

23rd

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nue

22nd

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nue

22 nd Avenue

21st

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nue 18 th Avenue

17 th Avenue

16 th Avenue

Front Street

1st Street

4th Stre

et

5th Stre

et

5th Stre

et

6th Stre

et

7th Street

8th Street

9th Street

10th Street

A Street

C Street

Key:

Parks

Projects under Construction or in Planning

Railroad

Downtown Landmarks

24th

Ave

nue

21 st Avenue

Soule

Weidmann's

The current layout ofdowntown Meridian.

The panel’s proposedredevelopment strategy.

ArtMuseum

City Hall

ParkingGarage

TempleTheater

ThreefootBuilding

Kress

Riley Educationand Performing

Arts CenterUnion

Station

RailroadMuseum

DumontPlaza

CohnSheehan

FreedomPark

Railroad

27 th Avenue

26 th Avenue

25th

Ave

nue

23rd

Ave

nue

22nd

Ave

nue

22 nd Avenue

21st

Ave

nue

20th

Ave

nue

19th

Ave

nue 18 th Avenue

17 th Avenue

16 th Avenue

Front Street

1st Street

4th Stre

et

5th Stre

et

5th Stre

et

6th Stre

et

7th Street

8th Street

9th Street

10th Street

A Street

C Street

Key:

City Walk

Parks

Museums/Cultural Attractions

24th

Ave

nue

21 st Avenue

Children'sMuseum

CivicPlaza

Business andTourism Welcome

Center (Proposed)

Soule

Peavey

JimmieRodgers

Weidmann's

Anchor Areas

Downtown Gateway

Downtown Landmarks


traffic on the north side of I-20/59 towards the citycenter.

Positioning the Anchors Meridian has a number of key projects currentlyunder development and many in various stages ofplanning in the downtown area. The top graphicon page 15 depicts the current layout of down-town, which is anchored by the Riley Center andUnion Station. It also shows that there are no sig-nificant anchors in downtown’s southwest area,which has resulted in the neglect of the AfricanAmerican Historic Business District and the west-ern portion of Front Street, although there are anumber of furniture and men’s clothing stores inthe area.

The panel notes that in many metropolitan areasundergoing urban revitalization, a major attractor(or anchor) has facilitated development and en-couraged foot traffic. The key for downtown Merid-ian will be to position the anchors so that foottraffic is maximized throughout the area. The pro-posed Jimmie Rodgers Museum will attract visi-tors and will serve as a third anchor for downtown.

The Jimmie Rodgers Museum currently is to belocated on the site east of the Railroad Museum,between 17th and 18th avenues, but the panelfeels strongly that it should be relocated to theother end of Front Street near 26th Avenue. Thisstrategic repositioning will anchor the oppositeside of downtown and redistribute the patternof foot traffic throughout the area. The bottomgraphic on page 15 depicts the recommended relo-cation of the museum. The reconfiguration willbalance the geographic position of anchors, whichwill serve as catalysts for redevelopment in theirrespective areas.

The panel strongly recommends that public pol-icy and finances be focused on these three areas.Public investment in badly needed infrastructure(e.g., streets, landscaping, utilities, etc.) will at-tract businesses. This type of investment will ulti-mately ripple through the entire downtown. Thesuccess of these key areas will serve as catalystsfor other infill development that will ultimatelylink the districts.

Downtown HousingAttracting singles and families to homes andapartments in the downtown will help the cityachieve its most important goals: an increasedresidential component in the city core; provision of sorely needed support for additional down-town retail shops; and filling some, if not all, of thearea’s vacant office buildings. The renovation andconversion of the Rosenbaum Building into condo-miniums and the recent completion of the FrontStreet Apartments are precedents for futuredowntown housing. The panel identified threelikely markets for such products: young profes-sionals already in Meridian; new, urban-orientedrecruits arriving at the hospitals; and the increas-ing number of empty nesters moving to Missis-sippi for its low-cost, high quality of life.

The conversion of spaceabove ground-floor retailinto residential units is anexcellent reuse of vacantdowntown buildings—as has been successfullydemonstrated at the FrontStreet Apartments.


As Meridian embarks on revitalization of itsdowntown core, the city will need to suc-cessfully deal with a number of planningand design issues. They include but are not

limited to traffic and transportation, a downtowngateway, streetscape design standards, downtownhousing, parks and green space, and infrastruc-ture. The panel’s planning and design team exam-ined each issue and made recommendations thatshould help Meridian facilitate a successful down-town revival. This section highlights the panel’sareas of focus and recommended actions, whichare intended to produce highly visible results andto create a viable road map for the future.

Traffic and Transportation Three elements are key to the planning and man-agement of transportation systems, especially asthey affect downtown redevelopment: efficiency,safety, and appearance. The panel observed andexperienced the traffic and transportation pat-terns in the study area and provided the followingrecommendations.

Traffic Flow The city street system appears to be adequate toaccommodate existing and anticipated traffic vol-ume. With the exception of the occasional accidentor construction project, traffic congestion is a rareoccurrence in Meridian. Traffic signal sequencinghas caused some irritation among communitymembers interviewed and should be examined.The one-way system of downtown streets causessome confusion for visitors and new residents, andalso encourages rapid movement through and outof the city core.

The panel recommends that traffic circulation bechanged from the existing one-way system to theoriginal two-way street pattern in order to slowtraffic, enhance ease of circulation, increase retail

accessibility, and upgrade the streetscape image.This change will require realignment of the exist-ing diagonal parking to a parallel configuration.Some loss of street parking will result; but thenew municipal parking deck and other off-streetparking facilities will absorb this loss.

Sight Lines Sight lines are the primary consideration in citystreet safety evaluations. Sight lines are of para-mount importance at intersections and diagonalparking zones along one-way streets. The major-ity of intersections in the study area have ade-quate sight lines and those that do not are the re-sult of street plantings being either poorly placedor simply overgrown. Diagonal parking poses thegreatest threat to motorists in the city becausedrivers cannot see oncoming traffic as they backout into the street. This danger is exacerbated bythe fact that the wide one-way streets encouragedrivers to move at a rapid pace. The conversion totwo-way circulation and parallel parking will sig-nificantly help with this problem.

Street Aesthetics The aesthetic quality of streetscapes in downtownMeridian affects potential development more sothan do either of the two previous issues. Individ-uals or companies considering relocation to a cityare concerned with the appearance of the streetsand the image that they convey to a greater ex-tent than they are with the street’s capacity tohandle traffic. The streetscapes in Meridian arevery wide and, in many cases, barren and lackingin aesthetic appeal. Trees planted along streetsare of many different species, rendering a lack ofunity in the downtown core. However, severalareas including the north end of Front Street haveexcellent plantings. Streetscape design standardsare discussed later in this section.

Planning and Design

17

Downtown Gateway How the city of Meridian is perceived by ap-proaching visitors is essential to redevelopmentefforts. The first impression, or gateway impres-sion, frequently determines the long-term opinionheld by a visitor. The panel recommends the fol-lowing gateway improvements to enhance the re-development potential of the downtown area.

22nd Avenue Bridge into DowntownThe 22nd Avenue Bridge over the railroad tracksis the single most important entry point into thecity core. Currently the bridge is uninviting topedestrians and is a visual blight. The panel be-lieves that cosmetic changes to the bridge willgreatly improve the quality of entry into down-town.


The exterior condition ofthe buildings at the cor-ner of 22nd Avenue andFront Street contributesto an unattractive down-town image.

The panel recommends that the city mill, resur-face, and re-stripe the bridge to improve its aes-thetics. The removal and replacement of the cur-rent overhead highway lighting with decorativestreetlights appropriate to a historic district willsoften the visual impact of the bridge. The newdecorative light poles should include banners andhanging flower baskets. A sign with the city brandand a welcoming message should be placed at thesouth end of the bridge, letting visitors know theyare entering downtown Meridian.

When replacement of the bridge is considered inthe future, the structure should be widened to ac-commodate pedestrian traffic on both sides, andpavement-level greenery should be added, also on both sides.

The lack of streetlightsand wide sidewalks makesthe 22nd Avenue Bridgeuninviting to pedestrians.The bridge offers a poorvisual introduction todowntown.


Intersection of 22nd Avenue and Front Street The buildings at the north end of the bridge at theintersection of 22nd Avenue and Front Streetform key impressions on the visitor. These build-ings, including the Meridian Hotel, appear under-utilized and should be a high priority for redevel-opment. The panel recommends that conversion toresidential units above ground floor retail be con-sidered. The redevelopment of this intersection isessential because it provides the first street-levelimage of downtown.

22nd Avenue from I-20/59 to Downtown This entire corridor should be considered theentry to the city. Currently, 22nd Avenue lookstired, and is characterized by lower-end strip cen-ters and many vacant buildings. To improve thisgateway corridor and soften its rough image, thepanel recommends that large-scale street trees beplanted along its length. Buildings that are cur-rently vacant and not suitable for redevelopmentshould be removed and the lots planted until fu-ture development occurs.

The creek channel also has been neglected and isnot a visual benefit to the city. The panel recom-mends planting of native vegetation along thecreek’s banks. The city should consider this a land-scape or watershed restoration project, and seekstate and federal funding.

I-20/59 Interchange at 22nd Avenue The panel recommends that a pleasing introduc-tion to the city be created through the use of me-dian and shoulder-area plantings of wildflowersand other attractive, low-maintenance vegetation.These plantings should extend for a considerabledistance on either side of the interchange to createan impression of commitment and sustainability.The city brand should figure prominently on high-way signage and one or more large public art in-stallations should be included as part of inter-change improvements.

Streetscape Design Standards The panel believes that the following recom-mended streetscape design standards are essen-tial to the redevelopment of downtown. If imple-

mented they will help to slow traffic, increasepedestrian and vehicular safety, and improvestreet-level aesthetics of the area.

Parking-Intensive Streets Streets of a parking-intensive nature are streetsthat are not dedicated to a pedestrian-intensive orretail environment (e.g., 4th Street). These streetsshould be two-way with one lane in each direction,have small trees and islands at intersections, anddiagonal parking on each side. This is similar tothe current configuration of many streets in thedowntown. See the top graphic below.

Sidewalk Two-WayTravel Lanes SidewalkParallel

ParkingParallelParking

Sidewalk ParallelParking

TravelLane SidewalkParallel

ParkingTravelLaneMedian

Sidewalk DiagonalParking

DiagonalParking

Two-WayTravel Lanes Sidewalk

Parking-intensive street.

Arterial street.

Retail and pedestrianstreet.


Arterial Streets Streets of an arterial nature are streets that arebordered by large office buildings, with vehiclesmoving through the area, and are not dedicated toa pedestrian or retail environment (e.g., 22nd Av-enue). These streets should be two-way, with twolanes in each direction, have street trees along thesides, and parallel parking. See the middle graphicon page 19.

The wider traffic area of arterial streets providesease of through-travel while the large street treesprovide shade and soften edge conditions.

Retail and Pedestrian Streets Streets of a retail and pedestrian nature arestreets that are bordered by small storefronts andare characterized by a residential or cultural envi-ronment (e.g., Front Street). These streets shouldbe two-way with one lane in each direction, have amedian with large street trees, parallel parking,and small flowering trees at the sidewalk.

The narrow travel area calms traffic and increasespedestrian safety. The median trees provide sounddeadening and also increase visual privacy for thesecond-floor residential units. The small sidewalktrees do not conflict with signage or awnings whilethey provide visual appeal and shade. See the bot-tom graphic on page 19.

Downtown Lighting A uniform system of street lighting needs to bedeveloped for the historic districts of downtown.In the study area, the lighting at the end of FrontStreet is most representative of appropriate his-toric lighting. Funding of lighting installationscould be shared by property owners and the city.

Streetscape Plan A streetscape plan must be developed and fundedto complement the street design standards. Theplan should include the locations and types of veg-etation, street furniture, bicycle racks, and otheramenities that are preferred in the downtown area.

The panel recommends that the city create a tree-planting type standard that includes native spe-cies for downtown. It will be essential to limit thenumber of planting types in order to create a uni-form appearance for the area and to ease mainte-

nance. The standard should contain no morethan three types of street trees, three types ofsmaller flowering or decorative trees, and fourtypes of groundcover. The panel’s streetscapeplan on page 21 identifies recommended street-scape design standards and placement of trees.

The city also should create decorative seasonalflowerbeds in strategic, high-visibility locations.These beds could be “adopted” by local businessesto defer the cost to the city. They will complementthe streetscape design standards mentioned ear-lier in this section.

Downtown Housing Full-time residents in the city core are a vitalcomponent of successful downtowns. These resi-dents support local restaurants and retail estab-lishments to a greater degree than do their com-muting counterparts. They also provide vibrancyin the core after work hours and on the weekends.More inhabitants in a downtown area also encour-age a positive perception of safety.

Meridian is fortunate to have a diverse inventoryof vacant downtown buildings ideal for residen-tial reuse. The Front Street Apartments and theRosenbaum Building are excellent examples ofthis. Most importantly they prove that there isdemand for this type of housing downtown. Thefour buildings at the corner of 22nd Avenue andFront Street are good candidates for residentialreuse because of their location at the gatewayto downtown.

Historic District To facilitate the development of downtown hous-ing, the city should combine and expand the UrbanCenter and Union Station historic districts. Theyalso can be incorporated into the current AfricanAmerican Historic Business District, but must in-clude both sides of Front Street from 19th to 26thavenues to capitalize on the success of the FrontStreet Apartments. The approximate boundariesof the proposed center city historic district areshown in the panel’s downtown districts plan onpage 22.

By creating a larger downtown historic district,the city can utilize a number of programs and in-


The panel’s streetscapeplan.

ArtMuseum

CityHall

New ParkingGarage

TempleTheater

ThreefootBuilding

RileyCenter

Union Station

DumontPlaza

25th

Ave

nue

24th A

venu

e

23rd

Ave

nue

22nd

Ave

nue

19th

Ave

nue

Front Street

4th Street

5th Street

6th Street

7 th Street

8 th Street

Key:

Street Trees

Small Flowering Trees

Water Feature

Landmark Buildings

Railroad

Green Space

Kress Building

The successfully reno-vated Rosenbaum Build-ing is a tremendous assetto downtown Meridian.


centives to promote the development of down-town housing and urban living, which are dis-cussed later in this report.

Green Space High-quality green space is an essential elementof successful downtown areas. Public green spacesare the living rooms of the city, providing peoplewith a place to partake in many activities, both ac-tive and passive. To encourage downtown living,additional green space needs to be defined andcreated. The panel recommends the followinggreen space initiatives.

Center City Plaza A major center city plaza is recommended be-tween City Hall, the Riley Center, and the pro-posed hotel at the Threefoot Building. Greenspace in front of City Hall should be expanded toprovide a view of the building from 22nd Avenue.The plaza should include a water feature andsculpture, along with the Doughboy Monument.

Pedestrian Connection To provide pedestrian connections between thenew parking deck, the Threefoot Building, and theRiley Center, panel members recommend the cre-ation of a new pathway. Pedestrians will cross23rd Avenue from the new parking deck entranceand pass under awnings along the face of the hotelto the intersection of 22nd Avenue and 6th Street.This should provide a safe, convenient, and attrac-tive pedestrian link between the new garage andthe three major facilities. This path should be des-ignated by the use of a brick or a decorative con-crete sidewalk. The graphic on page 23 depicts thepanel’s proposed pedestrian connection.

Freedom Park A park should be located at the corner of 25th Av-enue and 5th Street in the African American His-toric Business District. The park should includegreen space with a memorial to leaders and fami-lies from the civil rights era. This location also isideal for public art.

Dumont Plaza Panel members believe that the use of DumontPlaza needs to be clarified—either as green spaceor program space. If it is a green space, the raised

The panel’s proposeddowntown districts plan.

With the construction ofCity Center Plaza, Merid-ian’s city hall will be visi-ble from 22nd Avenue.

Railroad

Front Stre

et

1st Stre

et

4th Stre

et5th Stre

et6th Stre

et

Key:

Medical District

Historic District

African American Historic Business District

Railroad

21st

Ave

nue

22nd

Ave

nue

23rd

Ave

nue

24th

Ave

nue

25th

Ave

nue

26th

Ave

nue

20th

Ave

nue

19th

Ave

nue

18th

Ave

nue

16th

Ave

nue

15th

Ave

nue

14th

Ave

nue

17th

Ave

nue

7th Street

8th Street

9th Street

10th Street

11th Street

12th Street

14th Street

15th Street

16th Street

17th Street

A Street

B Street

C Street


planters should be eliminated and walkways mini-mized to provide more lawn area. If it is to be usedas a program space, the raised planters in thelower plaza should be removed and the entire areapaved with aesthetically pleasing material. Thisplaza also is an excellent area for murals on build-ing walls.

Private Green Space Additions to the city’s zoning ordinance requiringfuture developments to include landscaped areasshould be considered. Ordinance requirementscould include street furniture, street trees,flowerbeds, or small public plazas where appropri-ate.

Infrastructure The Achilles heel of many cities is the condition ofold infrastructure, including storm drainage, sani-tary sewerage, gas and water supply lines, andelectrical distribution. Fortunately for downtownMeridian, the city’s infrastructure capacity is cur-rently adequate for its population and present

uses. Although issues with stormwater drainageand sanitary sewage exist, they are not detrimen-tal to the overall revitalization of the downtownarea. This section describes the various infrastruc-ture issues affecting downtown and the panel’srecommended solutions. Funding for infrastruc-ture improvement or repair should be sought fromstate and federal sources or should be included inthe capital budget to address these issues in thelong term.

Stormwater Drainage It appears that Meridian’s current stormwatersystem is near or at capacity. A recent survey ofexisting stormwater structures within the studyarea indicates that the conveyance pipes need tobe cleaned of obstructions and many areas thathave been crushed or collapsed need to be re-paired. Once this is done, the system should ade-quately accommodate stormwater runoff from de-velopment projects into the foreseeable future.

However, due to the increased runoff from up-stream, many inlets near the intersection of 22nd

The panel believes thatthe creation of a pathwayfrom the new parking ga-rage to the Riley Centerwill provide a safe andconvenient pedestrian link.

Parking DeckThreefoot Building

Riley Education andPerforming Arts Center

23rd

Ave

nue

22 nd Avenue

7th Street

Key:

Trees

Green Space

Water Feature

Decorative Sidewalk

Buildings

Pathway


Avenue and 6th Street need to be enlarged to ac-commodate the increased flow.

A drainage model that projects the impact of pro-posed development in the watershed on down-stream locations including downtown should bedeveloped. As additional impervious surfaces arecreated to the west of downtown, the stormwaterburden on the area can increase. Stormwaterquality also should be considered and federal fund-ing for water quality enhancement should besought if needed.

Sanitary Sewerage It appears that Meridian’s current sanitary sewer-age system has operational capacity to accept theburden placed upon it by redevelopment. The de-cline in demand on this system over the last sev-eral years has resulted in the capacity to acceptadditional demand. As with the stormwater man-agement system, the sewage infrastructureshould be evaluated for adequacy.

Gas LinesGas lines and meters throughout the study areaare being replaced within the next year as a partof routine management. The result of this effortby local gas companies will be sufficient capacityfor future redevelopment projects.

Water and Electric Service Water and electrical service appears to be ade-quate to support redevelopment. Many abandonedelectrical lines remain above ground in the studyarea and should be removed by qualified person-nel as soon as possible for safety and aestheticreasons.

A master plan for infrastructure repair and im-provement needs to be developed. It should in-clude annual budgeting of money for plannedmaintenance of infrastructure including, stormwa-ter management, sanitary sewerage, sidewalks,paving, and public spaces. Funding should be allo-cated based upon a maintenance plan prepared bythe public works department.

Additional Plans and Studies Downtown is the heart of an urban community. Ahealthy community needs a healthy heart. The re-development of Meridian’s downtown will requirea combination of strategic development plans.This report should be seen as the framework forthose plans.

Downtown Strategic Development Plan This plan should identify potential developmentopportunities downtown and outline a clear andconcise vision for its future. The plan should in-clude major land uses such as residential, com-mercial, office, government, mixed-uses, publicimprovements, utilities, and landscaping. Theplan should identify areas to be preserved and/or enhanced as well as those to be demolished.This plan should indicate major anchors as well as secondary uses. It should provide guidelines for infill development. The plan should identifystreetscape improvements. Finally, the planshould prioritize public and private develop-ments and their phasing.

Medical Area Plan The city and the three hospitals should develop a coordinated plan for development of the med-ical areas at the northern edge of downtown. Thethree community hospitals—Anderson, Rush,and Riley—are excellent institutions that have amajor economic impact on the city center. Each isexpanding independently without much coordina-tion. These continuing expansions will have seri-

The small stormwaterinlets around downtownneed to be enlarged toallow for quickerdrainage.


ous impacts on infrastructure as well as on thedowntown area and adjacent neighborhoods.

A medical area plan should identify the expansionneeds of each of the three institutions. This planshould include land uses, housing needs, parkingaccess, streetscape, and utility needs as well as de-sign guidelines. The plan should provide an answeras to how and where these uses will be located.The plan also should delineate public infrastruc-ture needs related to these developments.

The approximate boundaries of the proposedmedical district are shown in the panel’s proposeddowntown districts plan on page 22. This planshould be adopted by the three hospitals as wellas the city.

Landmark and Districts Identification Plan Numerous important historical buildings in Merid-ian are known by name to locals. However, visi-tors are frequently confused because they are un-familiar with the buildings’ names and histories.This plan establishes a design standard for build-ing plaques to include the building name and im-portant dates and facts. It also should establish adesign standard for district signage and includeplans for installation of signage at key intersec-tions and gateway areas.


The vibrancy of Meridian, as with most citiesacross the country, depends on the creativeclass: a fast growing, highly educated, andwell-paid segment of the workforce on whose

efforts corporate profits and economic growth in-creasingly depend. Members of the creative classdo a wide variety of work in a wide variety of in-dustries—from technology to entertainment, jour-nalism to finance, high-tech manufacturing to thearts. They are young, independent, and they sharea common ethos that values creativity, individual-ity, difference, and merit.

Most of the members of the creative class don’tvalue the suburban experience of their parentsand the accumulation of material goods. Rather,they value cultural experience, quality of life, thearts and mobility, and often choose to live down-town. It is this creative class that Meridian maylook to for a portion of its economic growth and agreat deal of its cultural vitality.

This section describes a development strategy forthe revitalization of downtown Meridian. It in-cludes strategies that utilize Meridian’s strengths:strong community involvement, excellent buildingstock, dedicated leadership, and appreciation forthe arts and culture. The panel firmly believesthat if these strengths are exploited, downtownwill transform into a vibrant area for all of thecity’s citizens.

Downtown and the Role of CulturalTourism Government, medical services, arts, culture, andentertainment are among the major economic gen-erators in downtowns across the country. Smallercities are increasingly marketing and utilizingtheir cultural amenities and “hometown” atmos-phere as an economic development tool. Missis-sippi is in an excellent position to capitalize on thistrend because of the large number of musicians

and artists in the state, and because of its numer-ous facilities and support for the arts.

According the Travel Industry Association ofAmerica, heritage travel in the United States in-creased 10 percent from 1996 (194.4 million trips)to 2002 (212 million trips). In fact, 65 percent ofAmericans engaged in a cultural, art, heritage,historical activity, or event on a trip of more than50 miles in the past year. In most cases, it was thecombination of museums, historical sites, perform-ing arts venues, and historical architecture thatmade smaller communities travel destinations.

Meridian is fortunate to have a very active artisticculture with numerous museums that, when com-pleted, will help create a compelling reason forresidents to come downtown, for visitors fromthroughout the region to stay longer when theyvisit Meridian, and for tourists to detour off thefreeway when they are on their way to New Or-leans, Atlanta, or Birmingham.

Some of these attractions will be large enough to be anchors—such as the Riley Center and theJimmie Rodgers Museum—and will be able tostand alone. Other sites, commonly called “inlineattractions,” will need to be clustered becausethey are individually too small and specialized todraw enough visitors to succeed.

Museums Currently, two museums are located downtown:the Meridian Museum of Art, and the RailroadMuseum, which would like to expand. The panelstrongly supports this, as an expanded railroadmuseum could potentially be a major attraction in conjunction with Union Station.

The panel recommends the siting of all the otherproposed museums within the downtown core asmentioned earlier in the report. This concentra-tion will create numerous synergies by supporting

Development Strategies


surrounding shops, restaurants, and clubs, and bycreating a larger audience for each museum.

But a downtown location alone is not enough. Thesiting of each cultural institution needs to be care-fully planned so that together they maximize theirpositive effect on downtown growth, encouragespin-off activity around them, strengthen each dis-trict within the downtown, increase demand fordowntown living, and make a visit to downtownMeridian a memorable and fun experience that in-spires people to come back again and again.

A major challenge for both the private operatorsas well as the city will be to secure constructionfunding and subsidies for operation of these muse-ums—since it is unlikely that all of them will beself-sustaining. A major advantage that the cityhas and can offer is the large number of well-lo-cated properties that it owns throughout down-town. A strategy for getting these museums builtwill be presented later in the report.

The panel feels that two major proposed museumswill be strong enough to be anchor attractions:

Jimmie Rodgers Museum. The panel considers thismuseum the anchor for the southwest end ofdowntown. It will be a landmark at the end ofFront Street, especially if the planned guitar-shaped facade is built there. It should ideally besited next to the railroad tracks on open spacethat will need to be acquired by the city from therailroad. Front Street could be renamed for Jim-mie Rodgers as a way to amplify the importanceof the district and Rodgers’ legacy.

Children’s Museum. This proposed museum wouldserve as another anchor for the downtown art andcultural district. The panel supports its location inthe vacant Bell South building that already isowned by the city. There is strong potential forinitial private funding of this museum. The panelsupports the city’s efforts to aggressively pursuethis opportunity.

Additional Museums and Cultural CentersFour additional proposed museums, while indi-vidually not strong enough to be anchors, wouldcollectively add significant diversity to down-town Meridian’s cultural offerings and draw more

visitors to the area. These four proposed muse-ums are:

Cohn Sheehan Design Center. The center is pro-posed for Meridian’s historic first courthouse, andthe site of a race riot to end reconstruction in1870. It would include classrooms and space foreducational programs. The center’s development,with that of the proposed Freedom Park along thepanel’s proposed City Walk, would create a strongactivity point that would bring long overdue at-tention and visitors to the African American His-toric Business District.

Institute of Southern Jewish Culture. The instituteis planned as a regional link in a chain of Jewishcultural and historic sites throughout the South.Its educational mission is complementary to othereducational proposals for the Kress and Newberrybuildings. The proposed location near what wasthe Marks Rothenberg Building is appealing forits historic/cultural connection, and it would alsobe on the City Walk.

The Mississippi Industrial Heritage Museum. Thisproposed museum at the Soule Steam Feed Worksbuilding would be a unique hands-on manufactur-ing facility located near the Railroad Museum.Visitors would be able to experience the manufac-turing process and operation of the steam enginesin the museum.

The panel believes thatthe city should followrecommendations fromthe Stennis Institute forthe redevelopment of theCohn Sheehan Building.


Peavey Museum. The now closed museum, that fora time was located in an industrial park outsidedowntown, would complement both the Missis-sippi Industrial Heritage and the Railroad mu-seum were it to reopen in the underutilized Pea-vey facility at the east end of 4th Street. ThePeavey name is known around the world amongmusicians because of the company’s legendaryequipment, and the power of this name wouldbe important to drawing performers and musiclovers. The museum’s presence would inspire spin-off entertainment venues nearby with a potentialto really enliven downtown.

These four museums collectively provide an im-portant display of Meridian’s cultural and manu-facturing history.

Operational SustainabilityThe panel firmly believes that the arts and enter-tainment district, and the cultural attractions thatare planned for downtown, will require an array ofsupporting activities. Only within this supportingframework can they—and the downtown as awhole—become truly self-sustaining. The panelconsiders this a two-phase process in which initialdevelopments support each other and in a secondphase are built upon to support long-term growthof a vibrant downtown.

Phase One: Immediate Uses In phase one, the creation of eating and drinkingestablishments, coffee houses, evening lounges/bars, artist studios, live/work units, galleries andantique stores draws people into the downtown.Their initial presence in combination with theopening of the Riley Center demonstrates thatthings are happening in Meridian and a greaterawareness of activities in the city core takes place.This burgeoning activity in turn attracts more vis-itors back to the cultural venues themselves, cre-ating a sustainable cycle of demand.

Phase Two: Later Uses As the downtown core begins to take off, the levelof interest expands beyond its cultural ameni-ties. In phase two, the downtown begins to at-tract new residents and businesses that have longbeen missing from the core. New residents are at-tracted to downtown because of the proximity to

work, variety of cultural amenities, vibrancy, andsense of place. Businesses such as law firms, realestate offices, insurance companies, and many oth-ers are drawn to the new center of commerce. Boththese residents and businesses will be essentialto the long-term sustainability of the core. Whenthey are in place, it will be much easier to attract a local grocer and other services and amenities toMeridian’s downtown.

Achieving this cycle of mutually sustaining activ-ity over the long run, however, will not happen onits own. It is necessary to pay close attention tothe siting, clustering, and anchoring of downtownservices and amenities to make sure they maintaina balance and have adequate exposure.

African American Historic BusinessDistrict The panel understands the apprehension and re-luctance of long-term property owners to invest inthe redevelopment of their properties within theAfrican American Historic Business District be-cause of the area’s instability and physical blight.However, their investment will be necessary ifMeridian is to have a truly successful downtownrevitalization. A collaborative effort among thecity of Meridian, property owners, and the Merid-ian Redevelopment Authority could result in a“win-win” for the city as a whole and for the his-toric business district. The panel recommends aphased approach.

The first phase of redevelopment in the districtwill be implementation of the streetscape plan for5th Street from 22nd to 26th avenues. This willphysically link the business district with the cul-tural facilities of the Riley Center. It should in-clude the replacement of sidewalks, installation ofdecorative lighting, and removal of unused over-head power lines that are present in the area. Thepanel considers this a necessary expense, and rec-ommends that funding be sought through the Cap-ital Improvements Program (CIP), mentionedlater in the report.

The second phase of district redevelopment willbe the adoption of the draft downtown strategicdevelopment plan prepared by the Stennis Insti-tute, which proposes the rehabilitation of several


buildings. This proposal includes restoration of the Cohn Sheehan building, the stabilization of theFielder & Brooks Pharmacy building, and the de-sign and construction of the proposed FreedomSummer memorial. In addition, further marketingand reuse of the Young’s Hotel property and othercommercial facades along 5th Street should beexplored. Redevelopment of these buildings wouldcreate an activity core, and anchor this section ofdowntown.

Historical significance of individual buildingswithin the district needs to be recognized and ade-quately displayed. A plaque designating the build-ing’s significance should be placed in public viewand be included on the maps for City Walk. Thehistoric importance of the buildings can be recog-nized by the display of papers, memorabilia, andartifacts from the period in storefront windows orin their lobbies. It also is essential that the AfricanAmerican Historic Business District be an inte-gral part of the City Walk because of its role in

Left: Many curbs andsidewalks in the down-town area are in poorcondition and in need ofrepair. Right: Unusedoverhead power linesshould be removed forboth aesthetic and safetyreasons. Below: Young’sHotel in the African Amer-ican Historic BusinessDistrict is an importantcultural and historic landmark.

downtown’s history. As awareness of the districtgrows and perceptions change, the area will beginto see the same prosperity as the rest of down-town.

The completion of these projects, along with pub-lic infrastructure improvements, will be importantfor further investment in the area. Additionally,higher land uses for the previously identifiedbuildings can finally be realized.

Critical Actions The panel believes that Meriden needs to take thefollowing specific actions to support the emergingarts, culture, and entertainment focus of down-town and to build a strong heart for the commu-nity. Without them, the cultural facilities mightget built, but they will not be sustainable over thelong run. To take downtown Meridian to a sustain-able level of economic and cultural development,the panel recommends the following initiatives.

Downtown City Walk The panel recommends the identification and cre-ation of a downtown “City Walk” to highlight all of the area’s attractions and amenities. The CityWalk is essentially a walking tour of the down-town, designated by markers on the sidewalk toguide visitors. This is similar to the popular “Free-dom Trail” in Boston. Maps should be available atthe Business and Tourism Welcome Center, at localhotels, restaurants, and on the city’s web page.

The suggested route of the City Walk is alongFront Street from 17th Avenue to 26th Avenuepast the Railroad Museum, Union Station, andshops on Front Street to the proposed JimmieRodgers Museum; then from the corner of 25thAvenue and Front Street to 7th Street throughthe heart of the African American Historic Busi-ness District and Freedom Park to the MeridianMuseum of Art. At 7th Street it turns right andgoes past Cith Hall and the new Center City Plazato the proposed Threefoot hotel at 22nd Avenue.From there it turns toward 5th Street and theRiley Center and Dumont Plaza, and then finallyback to 25th Avenue. There is an additional spuralong 4th Street between 17th and 19th avenuesto the proposed Mississippi Industrial Heritageand Peavey museums. The panel’s redevelopmentstrategy on page 15 shows the proposed City Walk.

Urban Revitalization District Within this district the city should aggressivelycondemn property that is economically and func-tionally obsolete. The Meridian RedevelopmentAuthority should focus its attention on key, well-located buildings that are damaged or not in use.One of the main goals of the agency is to facilitatethe delivery of developable property or vacantbuildings to developers or businesses that will addto the revitalization of downtown. Otherwise, de-teriorated and dilapidated buildings become a can-cer that destroys the property values of neighbor-ing buildings and scares away customers.


A restaurant or retailestablishment in theNewell Paper Companybuilding, at the corner ofFront Street and 25thAvenue, would help toanchor the southwestcorner of downtown.


Downtown Business and Tourism WelcomeCenter The panel believes that there is a strong need fora welcome center as a centralized place wherebusinesses considering locating downtown andtourists who are visiting downtown can come tofind out what’s offered. The welcome center couldinclude such things as a model showing area build-ings and attractions, tourist brochures and maps,and an inventory of downtown spaces for potentialretailers, businesses, and residents interested infinding out what’s available.

The Business and Tourism Welcome Centershould be located in a prominent location close todowntown’s gateway. The panel recommends thatthe Downtown Partnership be located within thecenter, as could other downtown-related organiza-tions such as the Main Street program, the Cham-ber of Commerce, the Tourism Office, and perhapseven the Meridian Redevelopment Authority. Thecenter can thus becomes a key resource for thosewho want to visit, invest in, or live downtown.

The Public Improvement Corporation could be the vehicle for creating the Business and TourismWelcome Center just as it created Union Station.

One-Stop Approval Process The panel recommends that Meridian create aone-stop approval process. As part of this process,one city staff person is assigned to a specific proj-ect and takes that development through the en-tire permitting process. This facilitated approachgreatly improves the city’s response time for ap-proval of permits and provides a consistent city

contact for the developer/builder. The city alsoshould consider appointing the same staff personto handle all downtown projects. This will increasehis or her awareness of the development commu-nity’s needs, and expand the skills of associatedzoning and building code officials. One-stop ap-proval is becoming increasingly popular aroundthe country because it is customer-service ori-ented and effective.

Gather More Information The panel has found that Meridian needs moreinformation if it is to effectively plan for futuredowntown growth. As a major infusion of publicand private money is about to come into down-town projects, it will be important for the city tounderstand and ensure that the projects are fis-cally sound. Without this information, the city and potential investors will not know the finan-cial risks involved. The following studies or plansshould be considered:

• An economic base study on what industries aregrowing (retail services, government, medical)and declining, and where potential exists;

• A downtown market potential study for retail,office, and residential uses; and

• Feasibility studies for proposed arts and cul-tural venues that include the number of poten-tial attendees, estimated economic impact, andhow operational shortfalls will be covered.


bicycle and foot patrols by local police. Better light-ing, a cleaner environment, increased program-ming, and of course more tourists, visitors, andusers of the downtown area are the best remedies.

This section discusses implementation strategiesdesigned to help the city move forward with themany recommendations outlined in the precedingportions of the report.

Financial Strategies andRecommendations As Meridian undertakes individual redevelopmentprojects, city leaders and staff should fully analyzethe projects’ financial implications by conductingmarket feasibility studies and developing finan-cial plans. While financing is always the most dif-ficult part of any project, the panel has full confi-dence in Meridian’s ability to obtain the necessaryfunding for completion of the proposed downtownprojects. The following programs are suggestedas tools and resources that the city can utilize inthis endeavor.

Capital Improvements Program The panel recommends that the city of Meridiancreate an annual Capital Improvements Program(CIP). This is necessary to specifically addressdowntown capital budget requirements. The CIPis prepared annually and allocates approved capi-tal expenditures for systematically acquiring, con-structing, replacing, upgrading, and rehabilitat-ing the built environment. Typically, funding isallocated by category including water and sewer;parks and recreation; public facilities; transporta-tion; and downtown, among others.

The panel suggests that the city incorporate keyinfrastructure investments consistent with theproposed downtown strategic plan into the CIPfor downtown. These will include street and traf-fic upgrades, streetscape improvements, public

The city of Meridian currently uses an im-pressive array of financial programs andtools in pursuit of its downtown redevelop-ment program. It recently has attracted sig-

nificant federal, state, and local foundation fundingto assist with several of its projects. However, asit moves into the next phase of downtown revital-ization, it will have to rely upon an even greatervariety of financial programs and sources in orderto carry the projects to completion.

The panel compliments government leaders andstaff in their current role as facilitators and sup-porters of downtown redevelopment. However, itis critical that the city better use its limited finan-cial resources to leverage increased amounts ofprivate investment. Private investment is whatcreates economic stability by increasing the taxbase, which relies heavily upon the property tax.The panel recognizes the growing reliance uponthe sales tax in Meridian, but cautions that eco-nomic diversification is extremely important fora balanced and strong economy. To be sustainable,this economy will need to be resistant to economicshifts in the marketplace—a marketplace thatoften is affected immediately by swings in the re-tail marketplace.

The city of Meridian needs to examine its fiscalpolicies to ensure that they reflect a significant re-turn on public investment. Focused use of publiccapital dollars should emphasize a commitmentand priority to leverage private investment. Thecity is beginning to understand the need for thispolicy as it pursues funding for the Threefoothotel project.

Meridian must also continue to address the public’sperception of safety. The perception that down-town is not safe is common to most of our nation’scities and cannot be ignored. As an example, re-tirees with higher disposable incomes must feelcomfortable enough to walk to and explore down-town neighborhoods. One approach is expanded

Implementation Strategies


plazas and open space, storm and sanitary, andpublic facilities.

Tax Increment Financing A Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district shouldbe identified for the downtown area. TIF districtsobtain revenues for capital improvements fromearmarked taxes on new development. A portionof the TIF annual collections should be allocatedto the downtown CIP. This will permit a coordi-nated and planned budget approach to implement-ing downtown projects.

Tax Abatement The city can provide property tax abatement tohome and property owners who choose to developor live in the downtown area for a set period oftime of between five to ten years. Such programshave successfully been used in cities across thecountry such as Portland, Oregon, and Shreve-port, Louisiana. A tax abatement program willhelp bring people into the district for the financialbenefits and will serve as a catalyst for attractingdowntown residents. While the city will not bereceiving property taxes, the new residents willprovide much-needed critical mass to supportdowntown establishments and the greater down-town revitalization—which will contribute to thetax base.

Tax Credits A number of federal tax-credit programs can beused to help finance downtown housing. The cityshould provide developers and property ownerswith information about the Federal Historic TaxCredit Program and Low-Income Housing TaxCredits to help facilitate residential development.Developers and property owners can take advan-tage of up to a 20 percent tax credit if their proj-ects meet the federal guidelines.

Downpayment Assistance To further encourage development of downtownhousing, the city should create a downpaymentassistance program for first-time homebuyers.These programs are used in cities around thecountry to promote new home ownership. Recipi-ents of downpayment assistance should be re-quired to be owner-occupants for at least fiveyears to ensure stability and to add their much-needed presence downtown.

Lauderdale County The panel sees a need to coordinate LauderdaleCounty’s financial contribution to the city into thedowntown strategic plan. The county’s plannedcontribution should be identified annually withinthe downtown capital budget.

Percent for Art Program Art is a proven economic development tool. TheSouthern Arts Federation reports that the arts inMississippi are among the highest job generatorsin the state. The Mississippi Arts Commission alsohas reported that 60 percent of the businesses re-sponding to a commission survey indicate thatthey use the arts in their communities to recruitnew employees. America’s nonprofit arts indus-try generates $134 billion in economic activityevery year: $53.2 billion in spending by arts orga-nizations and an additional $80.8 billion in spend-ing by arts audiences. The nonprofit arts industryin the United States supports 1.3 million full-timejobs. Governments also reap considerable eco-nomic benefits: $790 million in revenue at the locallevel, $1.2 billion at the state level, and $3.4 billionat the federal level.

The panel recommends that Meridian join over400 other American cities in enacting a Percentfor Art program as an economic development ac-

The Threefoot Buildingtowers above downtownMeridian. It is a visiblesymbol of the city’svibrant past.


tivity. The program consists of devoting 1 percentof the city’s capital construction budget towardthe purchase and installation of public art. Asmall, council-appointed city commission wouldadminister the program by developing a publicarts plan, soliciting artist submissions, reviewingsubmissions, recommending art for purchase tocity council, and working with the purchasingdepartment to secure the selected piece. Com-mission membership could be drawn from withinthe expanded arts council described in the imple-mentation section. City funds are typically lever-aged through the use of matching grants and pri-vate investment.

One of the first and most obvious locations forpublic art in Meridian includes blank facades onbuildings around the study area, for example, inDumont Plaza or Freedom Park, which would beideal for mural projects.

Role for Organizations/Partnerships Revitalizing downtown Meridian is an overwhelm-ing task for even the most experienced and suc-cessful developers and public officials. It will re-quire a tremendous amount of coordination andwork by numerous stakeholders. The followingsection defines the roles and responsibilities ofeach of the key stakeholders.

Meridian Redevelopment Authority The panel recommends that the Meridian Rede-velopment Authority (MRA) be vested with ad-ditional authority in the implementation of thedowntown redevelopment program. The MRAneeds to be able to assemble land and, if neces-sary, use condemnation. In addition, the MRAshould be endowed with a dedicated fundingstream from TIF money so that it can executedevelopment deals in cooperation with the cityof Meridian.

One example of an expanded role for the MRA isgap financing for projects that have difficulty at-tracting traditional support. The MRA must alsobe able to partner with private developers to facil-itate development.

Downtown Business Improvement DistrictThe panel recommends the identification and cre-ation of a Business Improvement District (BID)that serves as an umbrella organization for pro-viding enhanced downtown services. A BID is aspecial overlay assessment district approved bythe property owners, who self-impose a tax ontheir property. The BID has a board of directorsand a staff that provide services such as self-pro-motion, marketing and public relations, as well assupplementing the city’s cleanup and security pro-gram. BID activities are funded by the self-im-posed tax and administered so that benefits staywithin the designated district. The BID would re-place a largely inactive merchants association.

Meridian Arts Council The panel recommends that the city expand theMeridian Arts Council to serve as the formal um-brella arts organization for Meridian. The panelrecognizes the increasing importance of the artsto the economy of the community, and stronglyfeels that increased coordination and interface isnecessary to ensure that each art organization’sstrengths are maximized. The council can serve asa clearinghouse for performances, shows, events,and festivals, both public and private, in Meridian.It also can help coordinate the marketing andfundraising of events.

The panel recommends that the council formalizea dues-based membership to incorporate all areaarts organizations including the visual, perform-

When completed, theRiley Education and Per-forming Arts Center willattract visitors from allover the South.


ing, and literary. If the Percent for Art programis established, the city should create an Urban De-sign and Public Arts Commission to offer an inde-pendent voice in guiding public art.

Museums The siting, programming, and operations of theproposed Children’s Museum, the Institute ofSouthern Jewish Culture, the Mississippi Indus-trial Heritage Museum, the Jimmie Rodgers Mu-seum, and potentially the Peavey Museum mustbe closely coordinated and interfaced with the twoexisting downtown museums—the Meridian Mu-seum of Art and the Railroad Museum.

The panel recommends that the museums’ man-agement and planning teams meet to discusstheir interests as well as the funding sources as-sociated with land and building acquisition, con-struction, and future operating budgets. Today,many museums require annual dedicated endow-ment funds to cover budget deficits. Considerationshould be given to combining some of the variousmuseums’ administrative and planning functionsto lessen the financial burden of operating costs.

A variety of external funding sources such as pri-vate investors, state and federal grants, and na-tional foundations independent of current localfoundations should be sought for both capital con-struction and operating endowments. Local foun-dations and public funds cannot support the finan-cial requirements of all of these museums. Thecity of Meridian could be looked to for land and/orbuildings to house the proposed institutions.

Educational Initiatives There is strong interest in establishing a magnetschool for the arts. The school should be locatedwithin the Riley Educational and Performing ArtsCenter as recommended by the Stennis Instituteof MSU. This is a wonderful opportunity to en-hance the arts in the community and to strengthentheir role as a contributor to the local economy.The magnet school could be located on the upperfloors of the Kress Building to afford it an oppor-tunity to expand and complement other programs.These could comprise an educational program forthe hospitality arts, including hotel and restaurantmanagement, and food preparation. Foundations,

businesses, and other arts supporters could sup-plement federal and state education funding.

Communication Strategies The panel believes that communication betweenthe city government and the general public, non-governmental organizations, Lauderdale County,and the community’s stakeholders must be en-hanced. The proposed downtown strategic planupdate provides an opportunity to increase partic-ipation and input into the many redevelopmentinitiatives projected for downtown. The panelforesees a need for officials from the city of Merid-ian and Lauderdale County to meet monthly to co-ordinate the city’s redevelopment plans and to re-view required capital financial contributions onjoint downtown projects.

Hospitals Meridian is blessed with three excellent hospitals.Increased communication among the hospitals andthe city government on a monthly basis would beextremely beneficial to downtown redevelopmentefforts. The hospitals should prepare updatedmaster plans in consultation with the city in orderto ensure coordinated planning initiatives thatcomplement each other.

Branding The panel recommends that Meridian undertake a branding and imaging initiative. This effort iscritical to making downtown a successful visitorand tourist destination. A branding consultantshould be enlisted to create a unique theme andimage for the downtown. An image campaign canbe accomplished in conjunction with the Down-town Partnership and the downtown retail busi-ness community. The branding initiative could befunded by the public sector, local foundations, andthe local business community—which will benefitdirectly from increased visitor business traffic.

Customer Service Strategies The panel recommends that the city governmentwork toward enhanced development services tofurther aid in the redevelopment of downtown.City employees who are in direct contact with de-velopers, building owners, and the general publicmust recognize that they are in the customer


service business. Customer service training pro-grams are available to assist with reminding cityemployees that they are employed to serve thecitizens of Meridian. Also, city employees dealingwith the general public should be made to feel thatthey are integral to the city’s redevelopment ef-forts. It will be important for them to see the“big picture” of Meridian’s future and to feel thatthey are part of it. This will make it easier forthem to genuinely convey enthusiasm about it tothe public.

City government must work to improve responsetimes for plan and permit reviews, as well asfor addressing problem properties and deterio-rating buildings. Developers and builders are ex-tremely sensitive to time delays that impact theirprofitability.

Additional Financial ToolsThe successful redevelopment of Meridian’s down-town will require a variety of resources and sup-port, both from the public sector and various pri-vate sources. The following list is not meant to becomprehensive, but hopefully will serve as a guideto tools and strategies that complement those al-ready recommended by the panel. This list wascompiled from a variety of sources.

Community Development Corporations (CDCs) A CDC could be established to develop economicprograms and provide financial support for thecity’s redevelopment initiative. It would not dupli-cate efforts by existing organizations, but wouldprovide wider access to federal redevelopmentfunding. A CDC is organized as a nonprofit,501(c)3 corporation, and is governed by a body ofvested community stakeholders. The objectives ofthis CDC should include helping to facilitate rede-velopment by partnering with for-profit develop-ers, and accessing and deploying public capitalinto the project.

Attracting Support of Commercial LendingInstitutions Commercial lending institutions that service theMeridian and Lauderdale County communitiesshould be solicited for support of downtown revi-talization. Under the Community ReinvestmentAct of 1977, these institutions are obligated to in-

vest in, make loans to, and provide service to thecommunity in which they serve.

Along with traditional banks, initiatives sponsoredby FannieMae and FreddieMac are geared to as-sist with revitalization efforts. These incentivesnot only directly assist the ultimate capital recipi-ent, but also can provide financial incentives to thefinancial institutions, which in turn will pass theseincentives on to the capital recipient. The collec-tive objective is to provide an incentive for revi-talizing the community.

Leverage Federal Public CapitalThe city should utilize a tiered approach to le-veraging public capital as an incentive to at-tract private equity and debt to the redevelop-ment area. Following is a list of several federalresources to be explored.

HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME)The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban De-velopment HOME program provides formulagrants to states and localities for community ac-tivities that build, buy and/or rehabilitate afford-able housing for rent or homeownership, or pro-vide direct rental assistance to low-income people.

U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA)The Economic Development Administration ofthe U.S. Department of Commerce manages grantprograms for the purpose of creating private sec-tor jobs in economically depressed areas. On aver-age, these grants total $850,000 per applicant andthe grant funds 50 percent of the project. How-ever, the percentage allocated is based on projectcriteria. This grant is available to cities, counties,states, nonprofit organizations, and universities.Qualifications require that the unemployment ratebe 1 percent above the national average or thatper-capita income in the area be 80 percent or lessthan the national average. Grants are available forvarious projects including water and sewer plantsand lines, business incubators, industrial parks,and spec buildings. To qualify, projects must beconstructed on publicly owned land and be ownedand operated by the applicant. The investmentmust directly create private sector jobs.


Urban and Community Forestry AssistanceProgramThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) pro-vides small grants of up to $10,000 through theUrban and Community Forestry Assistance Pro-gram to communities for the purchase of trees toplant along city streets and for greenways andparks. To qualify for this program, a communitymust pledge to develop a street tree inventory;create a municipal tree ordinance; establish a treecommission, committee, or department; and drawup an urban forestry management plan.

Economic Development Grants for Public Worksand Development of FacilitiesThe Economic Development Administration of theU.S. Department of Commerce provides grants tostates, counties, and cities designated as redevel-opment areas by the administration. Grants areallocated for public works projects that includetrail development and greenway facilities. Thereis a 30 percent local match required, except in se-verely distressed areas where federal contribu-tions may reach 80 percent.

National Recreational Trails ProgramNational Recreation Trails Program grants areavailable from the Federal Highway Administra-tion to government and nonprofit agencies for thebuilding of a trail or piece of a trail. Grants rangefrom $5,000 to $50,000. This is a reimbursementprogram (sponsor must fund 100 percent of theproject up front) and requires a 20 percent localmatch. Program funds are split such that 30 per-cent goes towards motorized trails, 30 percent tonon-motorized trails, and 40 percent is discre-tionary for trail construction.

National Fund for Enterprise Development(NFED)The National Fund for Enterprise Development,a subsidiary of the Corporation for EnterpriseDevelopment and a certified community develop-ment institution, provides grants and loans tostate intermediaries that support small and microbusiness development. State intermediaries arefinancial institutions created to attract and lever-age new capital at state or regional levels andthen invest those combined funds in local enter-prise development programs that serve small and

emerging businesses that don’t yet qualify forbank financing.

Attract and Leverage Private EquityThe resources previously mentioned should beused in aggregate as an inducement to attract theprivate equity community to invest capital intothe redevelopment area. In addition, tools such asNew Markets Tax Credits, Low Income HousingTax Credits, and Historic Tax Credits act as in-centives to mitigate some of the financial risksfaced by investors.

Federal New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC)ProgramThis program was established by the CommunityRenewal Tax Relief Act of 2000. It allows taxableinvestors who make equity investments in Com-munity Development Entities (CDEs) to receivetax credits worth more than 30 percent of theamount invested. Administered by the U.S. De-partment of Treasury’s Community DevelopmentFinancial Institutions (CDFI) Fund, the tax creditis intended to spur $15 billion of business invest-ment in low-income communities through 2007.Tax credits are expected to be allocated annuallybetween 2002 and 2007 through a competitive pro-cess. Unallocated investment authority may becarried over year to year until 2014.

Community Development Entities (CDEs) areorganizations that have a primary mission toserve low- and moderate-income communities.Examples include: community developmentbanks; community development corporations;small business investment companies focused onlow- and moderate-income communities; and SBA-licensed new markets venture capital companies.CDEs may be either nonprofit or for-profit enti-ties, but only those that are for-profit may applyfor New Markets Tax Credits.

Eligible CDEs that apply to the Treasury Depart-ment’s CDFI Fund and are selected for an alloca-tion will be awarded New Market Tax Creditsbased on objective criteria related to their experi-ence working with disadvantaged businesses andcommunities. CDEs apply for an allocation of taxcredits on a competitive basis. Once awarded thecredits, the CDE is authorized to sell its allotted


beginning in 2003. The tax credits are used to lev-erage private capital into new construction, or ac-quisition and rehabilitation of affordable housing.

Federal Historic Preservation Tax IncentivesThe U.S. Department of the Interior and the De-partment of the Treasury jointly administer theFederal Historic Tax Credit Program. The Na-tional Parks Service acts on behalf of the Secre-tary of the Interior in partnership with the stateHistoric Preservation Officer. The 20 percent re-habilitation tax credit applies to any project thatthe secretary designates to be a certified rehabili-tation of a certified historic structure. It is notavailable for properties used exclusively as theowner’s private residence.

amount to private equity investors who can claim5 percent in federal income tax credit on the in-vestment amount for each of the first three years,and 6 percent credit for each of the next four yearsit invests in the CDE. This equals over 30 percentover the life of the investment. CDEs will then usethe proceeds raised by the sale of the tax creditsto provide funds for eligible businesses and eco-nomic activities located in low-income communi-ties, including urban and rural areas.

Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC)This program was created by the Tax Reform Actof 1986 as an alternate method of funding housingfor low- and moderate-income households. Until2000, each state received a tax credit of $1.25 perperson that it could allocate towards funding hous-ing that met program guidelines; this allocation wasraised to $1.75 in 2002, and adjusted for inflation

The buildings on thesouth side of Front Streetare excellent candidatesfor conversion to residen-tial and retail uses.


Street Apartments demonstrate that there is in-terest in living in the downtown core. Meridianmust be prepared to take advantage of these in-credible assets in order to reach its full potential.

In order to change the shape of the downtown,Meridian must begin to leverage the public dol-lars that are being invested in the city. It is therole of public investment dollars to create a pri-vate development climate. The panel firmly be-lieves that this is beginning to happen downtown.As the projects that are underway become a real-ity, it will be time for private investment to stepforward and move the redevelopment of down-town forward.

While the recommendations set forth by the panelseem vast and overwhelming, the panel is confidentthat they can be implemented because of the strongleadership and community support in Meridian.

The role of Meridian’s downtown has changedand evolved over the last century, as it hasin most American cities. It is time to capital-ize on this new role and face the reality that

the downtown of yesterday is no longer viable andwill not return. However, the rebirth of down-town Meridian, with is its new uses and its mix ofbusiness, residential, art, and cultural activity isreflected in the redevelopment of downtownsacross America.

Meridian has recently embarked on what promisesto be a period of significant growth and revital-ization. Several major new real estate and con-struction projects have the potential to change theshape of the city. The Riley Education and Per-forming Arts Center is destined to be a world classfacility drawing artists and performers from aroundthe globe to eastern Mississippi. The renovationand conversion of the Rosenbaum Building intocondominiums and the development of the Front

Conclusion


Laurin McCrackenPanel ChairMemphis, Tennessee

Laurin McCracken, AIA FSMPS, is the market-ing and strategies officer for Looney Ricks KissArchitects, headquartered in Memphis, with of-fices in Princeton, New Jersey, Nashville, andCelebration, Florida. Prior to joining LRK, Mc-Cracken was the national accounts director atMcClier. Before joining McClier, he was the chiefexecutive officer of the Global Design Alliance, astrategic alliance of architectural, engineering,and specialty consulting firms.

McCracken was previously with HNTB Corpora-tion where he was the director of marketing forarchitectural services. During the ten years pre-ceding HNTB, he was the director of marketingfor RTKL, where he led their national and inter-national marketing efforts. McCracken is a regis-tered architect and a graduate of Rice Universityand Princeton University.

McCracken was the national president of the Soci-ety for Marketing Professional Services. He is therecipient of the organization’s prestigious Market-ing Achievement Award. McCracken has been amember of the National Association of CorporateReal Estate Executives (NACORE) for more thantwenty years. He is a charter member of NACOREand holds the designation of MCR, master of cor-porate real estate service.

McCracken is also the chair of ULI’s InternationalCouncil and a 20-year member of the InternationalDevelopment Research Council.

Mark AlbrechtAkron, Ohio

Mark Albrecht serves as the special projects man-ager for the city of Akron’s department of planning.In that role, Albrecht manages special development

projects such as the Middlebury MarketPlace, a67,000-square-foot new retail center on a formerbrownfield site. Previously, as economic develop-ment manger for the city, his responsibilities andprojects included downtown planning and rede-velopment, business and industrial development,brownfields, and state and federal project coordi-nation.

Albrecht previously served as a ULI panelist in2000 for Trenton, New Jersey, advising on down-town redevelopment strategies. Internationally,Albrecht serves as the liaison to Chemnitz, Ger-many, Akron’s sister city. He has served as a statedepartment volunteer under the InternationalCity/County Management Association ResourceCities program to develop an economic develop-ment strategy for Subotica, Serbia.

Albrecht is a member of the Ohio RevitalizationTask Force and the National Brownfield AdvisoryBoard. He has taught for over ten years as anadjunct professor at the University of Akron inurban planning and economic development. Al-brecht is a graduate of Bowling Green State Uni-versity, with a master’s in planning from the Uni-versity of Akron.

Kenneth T. BacchusKansas City, Missouri

Bacchus is president and CEO for the Housingand Economic Development Financial Corpora-tion (HEDFC) in Kansas City, Missouri. HEDFCis a private nonprofit, community-based develop-ment organization whose primary purpose is toprovide financing for projects benefiting low- andmoderate- income families. HEDFC is the spon-soring organization for a number of public-privateventures involving local developers, the home-builders association, the banking community andthe local partnership office of the Federal Na-tional Mortgage Association.

About the Panel


Current projects Bacchus has initiated includepredevelopment activities for the Beacon Hill Re-development Project, an inner-city redevelopmentproject based on a traditional neighborhood de-sign (TND), and the Vineyard and 39th Street Re-development and Concept Plan. Bacchus, an urbanplanner by profession, has over 26 years of experi-ence in a broad range of redevelopment planninginitiatives and management of economic develop-ment projects.

Bacchus served two terms as an at-large memberof the Kansas City, Missouri city council (1991-99).Bacchus was executive director of a communitydevelopment corporation (CDC) in the mid 1980’s.While on the city council, Bacchus was chairmanof the Plans, Zoning, and Economic DevelopmentCommittee for both terms. In addition to zoningand strategic planning efforts, Bacchus negotiatedmany of the financing and development packagesfor new job development, business retention andexpansion, and community economic developmentpolicies throughout Kansas City, including re-cently completed projects in the Country ClubPlaza and the historic 18th & Vine Jazz District.

Bacchus served as chairman of the CommunityEconomic Development Committee of the Na-tional League of Cities and as a member of itsboard of directors. Bacchus served for 15 years asa commissioner for the Redevelopment Authorityand the Tax Increment Financing Commission ofKansas City. He is a member of the Urban LandInstitute, where he serves as an adviser to the Af-fordable Housing Council. He is a charter memberof the American Planning Association.

Michael BeyardWashington, D.C.

Michael Beyard is an urban planner and economistwith more than 20 years of experience in the re-lated fields of real estate development, land useplanning, and economic development. His expe-rience is focused in both the United States andEurope on commercial and retail development,shopping centers, e-commerce, location-basedentertainment, and downtown revitalization.

At the Urban Land Institute, Beyard is seniorresident fellow for retail and entertainment devel-opment. He is the author/project director of nu-merous books including Developing Urban Enter-tainment Centers, Shopping Center DevelopmentHandbook, the Dollars & Cents of Shopping Cen-ters series, Value by Design, Developing PowerCenters, Downtown Development Handbook, TheRetailing Revolution, Ten Principles for Reinvent-ing Suburban Strips, and Business and IndustrialPark Development Handbook. He created and di-rects ULI’s annual International Conference onUrban Entertainment Development and its tech-nology and retail real estate forum.

Prior to his current position, Beyard was vice pres-ident of strategic development and responsible forthe Institute’s research, data collection, books, andconferences in the commercial development fieldas well as for its new strategic initiatives. He cre-ated ULI’s program in the retail entertainmentfield including international conferences, books,Urban Land magazine supplements, and strategicpartnerships with other organizations. In addi-tion, he is the past director of ULI’s advisory workin Central Europe under the auspices of the UnitedStates Agency for International Development,and the coordinator of program activities forULI Europe.

Beyard has been honored with membership inLambda Alpha, the International Land EconomicsHonorary Society, and was an appointed memberof the mayor’s Interactive Downtown Task Forcein Washington, D.C. He holds a BA in interna-tional economics with honors from Rutgers Col-lege and a master’s degree in urban planning anddevelopment from Cornell University where hewas elected to Phi Kappa Phi.

Satyendra S. HujaCharlottesville, Virginia

Satyendra Singh Huja has been director of strate-gic planning for the city of Charlottesville since1998. Prior to that he was director of planning andcommunity development for the city of Charlottes-ville for 25 years. He also has been a consultant tothe city of Pleven, Bulgaria on economic develop-ment and tourism marketing.


Huja’s experiences are in the area of downtownrevitalization, housing, historic preservation, trans-portation planning, art and culture activities, andneighborhood revitalization. He has received hon-ors from the Virginia Society of the American In-stitute of Architects and recognition from the PewFoundation for his downtown revitalization efforts.

Huja is an adjunct faculty member at the Univer-sity of Virginia School of Architecture and teachesurban planning courses on a regular basis. He is amember of the American Planning Associationand the American Institute of Certified Planners.He received his master’s degree in urban planningfrom Michigan State University.

Mark McConnelRoanoke, Virginia

Mark C. McConnel, AIA, is managing principal ofMark McConnel + Associates, an architecture andplanning firm based in Roanoke, Virginia. The prac-tice specializes in historic preservation and adap-tive reuse for a variety of project types includingmultifamily housing, hospitality, visual and per-forming arts facilities, and commercial buildings.

Working in the field since he was 16 years old,McConnel is clearly dedicated to the professionof architecture. As an advocate for sustainable de-sign for the past decade, his major efforts involveeducating public and private entities and clientsconcerning the appropriate application of sustain-able planning and design techniques. He is espe-cially skilled in orchestrating projects whereinnonprofit organizations recycle older structureswithin sustainable parameters.

An American born in Paris, France, McConnel re-ceived a bachelor of science in architecture fromThe University of Virginia and a master of archi-tecture from the Massachusetts Institute of Tech-nology. His understanding of the successful inte-gration of tax-credit financing, urban geography,

preservation, and sustainable design has resultedin demand for McConnel as a guest lecturer at col-legiate institutions and professional conferences.A community activist and recipient of the Distin-guished Service Award from the United Way, Mc-Connel serves on a number of public service orga-nizations’ boards and is chair of the Roanoke ArtsCommission.

Nathan MoederSan Diego, California

Nathan Moeder’s real estate research experienceincludes investment and development. On the in-vestment side, projects have included apartments,retail centers, office, industrial, and mixed-useprojects. On the development side, Moeder’s expe-rience includes large-scale residential develop-ments, office buildings, industrial properties, andhotels. Clients include major corporations, finan-cial institutions, small businesses, individual de-velopers, investors and public agencies.

Moeder has participated in projects with the Lon-don Group Realty Advisors, Inc. including finan-cial feasibility and economic market analyses foracquisition and disposition as well as research forlitigation consulting. He also has engaged in so-cioeconomic forecasts for San Diego County tosupport the traffic and revenue forecasts for thedevelopment of the SR-125 toll highway project inthe southern part of the county.

Moeder holds a BA in economics with a concentra-tion in mathematical theory and forecasting fromthe University of San Diego. He is an instructor atthe University of California, San Diego Extensionfor investment and development feasibility, realestate economics and urban development financ-ing. Moeder also instructs at the Newschool ofArchitecture on management and finance.