Jackson Jambalaya

Wow....95%.

By voting for the BID, Downtown Jackson property owners have determined to pay a
yearly assessment that supports DJP efforts in keeping Downtown Jackson clean, safe and developing.

How has that been working out for you? From the outside looking in it is a failure. I can't imagine how bad it would have been if you think it is now clean, safe, and developing.

Dictatorships poll alike.

10:56, that was a vote, not a poll.

95% of downtown businesses... so 19 out today the 20 remaining businesses??? Lol

Only Vladimir Putin gets 95% favorable votes.

Might want to check the definition of 'poll' @11:10 or, alternately, continue along your uninformed path.

Great! Now get rid of the panhandlers!!!! And clean up Union Station!!!! Grounds are in horrible shape, spray painting on walls, urine, trash and panhandlers. Great way to attract the public and potential investors! Its a Bold City Baby!!

How about you stay quiet on the subject if you don't own a business or work Downtown, or if you don't come Downtown for any reason for that matter! I work Downtown every day, and I see their uniformed ambassadors on the streets patrolling, sweeping, picking up trash, or whatever is needed. Back to your basements and taking care of your own back yard.

Has that horde of creatives flooded into downtown yet?

Attn 12:15 Why not teach those uniformed ambassadors how to fill a pot hole?

I hope the Directors have decided to let Ben Allen seek employment elsewhere. He is a great cheerleader but he does not have the knowledge or background for the job. The Directors must hire someone like Ben's counterpart in Chattanooga or Little Rock and pay them what they want---these people have proven they can turn around a dilapidated city like Jackson. WOW---Do something Directors make it happen !!!! The city has gone down ever since Big Bad Ben has been there---the proof is in the pudding !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I also work downtown (only because I have to). My car has been vandalized twice.

Agree 12:15. Looks like the people paying the freight are happy. Well 95% of them are.

Capitol Arts Lofts were announced today across from the King Edward. I was there. Very impressive. Governor Bryant announced during his speech that the Helm Place downtown had been named National "Neighborhood Development of the Year". Something like 160 homes to go with the 31 apartments in the Capitol Art Lofts.

1:45, everything DJP does is impressive and mostly SMOKE. I will move my offices back downtown after Ben Allen is fired and the Directors of DJP have hired a qualified educated leader to run the show. An outside CPA firm needs to check the books and see how much of the property owners' money has been wasted by Ben and the Board. Parties, meetings, studies, etc. What a waste---what a bunch of thieving Bastards.

Give it a rest 2:20 / 1:10 same person. Apparently the people paying the assessments are very happy with Allen and the board.

I own property downtown and voted for this assessment reauthorization. Not only did it pass 95% - 5%, it also is now for a 10 year period, not 5.

@1:45 PM Helm Place and Capitol Arts Lofts are LOW-INCOME, GOVERNMENT SPONSORED projects paid for by LOW-INCOME TAX CREDITS for LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS! Those projects do not serve the middle class, upper middle class, or upper class residents of Jackson. Why do you think the private sector has not "jumped-in" on Jackson's redevelopment efforts?! Because it's a welfare city in need of public funding to address crime, infrastructure, housing, transportation, and etc. Until the private sector invests private capital, resulting in the gentrification of Jackson, you will continue to witness the poverty-pimping, hustler show starting DJP, JRA, low-income tax credit developers with inefficient capital, and the "Christian, faith-based" non-profit organizations.

2:57, not same person.

I am friends with a lot of property owners in the CBD and I can assure you that they are not happy with DJP and Ben Allen. I think you are misunderstanding my motive---all I want is for Jackson to turn around, especially Downtown. I don't see that happening with the same leadership that has brought downtown Jackson to the lowest point ever. I am not blaming Allen with everything, just almost everything. He doesn't know he doesn't know what needs to be done. All I'm saying is find a qualified person with a proven track record and hire him.
Jackson has gone down hill ever since Allen has been President of DJP and not one single person can deny that fact. I'm not going to give it a rest until Ben is gone. I like Ben but he is a dumb ass when it comes to turning the CBD around.

Good for you 3:19---maybe the damn fool at 1:45 will believe you. I was not at the announcement but I expect Allen was right up in the middle this proposed housing disaster.

DJP is a total joke but nothing can help Jackson. The low income housing just speeds up the process to die. A total welfare city can not live much longer.

DJP has done a good job. It's not an investment bank - it can't invest and make projects happen on its own. It can promote downtown and encourage investment, even though it doesn't have any kind of power over taxes or incentives. On promoting development its done a good job with Allen at the helm: King Edward, Standard Life, Pinnacle Building, etc. Projects have been missed, but not from a lack of DJP efforts. Like previously stated, DJP can't invest funds on its own to make a project happen. DJP has also done a good job through its Ambassadors helping keep the streets safer and cleaner than they otherwise would be.

For a city to survive and thrive there must be more tax payers than those collecting welfare. That does not describe Jackson. If the tax money stopped being sucked up by Jackson it would shrink to the size of Florence but would still be a cesspool.

I agree 6:05. Were it not for DJP, IMHO, downtown Jackson would not be having its current Renaissance. Westin, Walthall, Cap Art Lofts, Landmark Center, DGNB Apartments, Eastland Courthouse. Actually all is very exciting!

Uh, is any work actually happening at the old JO Eastland courthouse?

Landmark Center? The building that sold for fractions of a penny after Uncle Ben failed in his effort to con the State into buying it for far in excess of its market price? That success?

Yawn YAWN.

I guess I can't believe my eyes. My eyes see improvements. Yes, I see more are needed but downtown hasn't looked this good or been this vibrant for a very, very long time.
I remember that downtown decay had a lot to do with a failure of property owners ( some not even living in MS )to maintain their property. I remember an unwillingness for decades to change laws so the city could do anything to force maintenance or much in the way of good building codes that were enforced. I remember knowing that our water system and roads were aging badly, but I don't remember those mentioning it getting anywhere or many wanting taxes to go up to do it. The city still doesn't have the authority needed to condemn property or force homeowners to do more than mow and pick up fallen debris.
I do know there are buildings in many downtowns across the country that are older than Jackson's are and that are updated and functional. How did those cities manage that? Was it magic? Did their developers and property owners not profit when held to a higher standard? Seems to me that many of the buildings in downtown Jackson were paid for in full long before they started to decay and were still bringing in revenues. Just none of those revenues went into keeping the property viable for the future.
My car was vandalized in 1976 in downtown Jackson when the city of Madison was one street trying to annex the few southern and western subdivisions. So I'm trying to figure out where 1:08 is parking and why their business won't spring for a lot with security cameras . It's pretty cheap these days. Complain to your employer or parking lot owner, not to the city unless you pay to park in the city lot. It would be a bad use of police officer time to guard parking lots.
The bottom lines are that the definition of whining is to complain without offering solutions and tending to your own business is still smarter than minding someone else's business.

I wasn't on the resume review committee, but remind me what Allen's background is other than 'School Day Pictures', Part time a.m. Radio Show Host and City Council-Person.

Helm Place is more appropriately named Habitat Place, since all the houses look like Habitat units. I wish them well, but I think a more interesting redevelopment is happening off West Street across from Millsaps.

This comment thread is clearly highly populated by DJP paid trolls to control the dialogue. If their attempts weren't so pathetic, it would be funny.

hmmm....
low income lofts?-MS Biz Jrnl article

Well, 11:28, the way I read your linked article, it says that 16% of the lofts are set aside for people that make 30% of median income and the other 84% is for people that make 60% of median income. So, yes, low income lofts. With low income residents. Thanks for clarifying that.

We all know the lofts will be well taken care of by the people who rent them. Every low income rental I have seen has such a neat clean appearance.

I went to their ribbon cutting and must say that Helm Place is much nicer than a typical Habitat house. They're professionally managed for 15 years and during that time provide all sorts of support programs for their residents. The same company has neighborhoods in South Jackson with housing that's better than the surrounding area. They are different types/levels of tax credit housing - low-mod is nicer than Section 8 for example. The Section 8 development in Fondren will likely be a dump in 15 years, while Helm Place will be a community of residents who are invested in Jackson. Much depends on the developer. Pay attention to who is getting tax credits and what they have planned.

I can't wait to move into my new crib on Church Street. Somebody gotta supply the hood!

Dear miserable soul at January 24, 2017, 10:26 AM ("This comment thread is clearly highly populated by DJP paid trolls to control the dialogue. If their attempts weren't so pathetic, it would be funny.")
You are the funny one, who thinks anyone who disagrees with the rambling hate, a.k.a. independent, logical thinkers, are trolls.

Dear pathetic troll @ January 25, 2017 at 1:11 PM
Thanks for the thoughts, Ben. Keep on trolling, boy, keep on trolling.

Is that tall tranny still strolling down State Street every night? Since I retired I do not have to drive through Jackson anymore. I do worry about that tranny since DJP has made the city into a show place. But then again, he did put on quite a show in his mini skirt.

Dear miserable at 4:47, I'm not a troll here, and I'm damned sure not Ben, though I think he's a nice, energetic guy. Face it, you don't get to dictate opinion here.

Dear pathetic @ 2:30
Thank you for repeatedly proving my original comment to be correct.
Troll on, brother, troll on.