Jackson Jambalaya

So somebody wants to invest his own money in a business that will hopefully pay taxes to Canton and paychecks to Canton residents who work there? And Canton doesn't like this because, um, er, history or something?

This building site, if memory serves me, had a building that burned to the ground then was demolished. It is actually across the street from a church. Singh is getting to the point he owns almost all of the gas stations up here. Has Jackson pretty much sown up so needs Canton. We really don't need a liquor store in that area as we have many on both the east and west sides.

Give the Little Emperor credit. MSU after initially agreeing to a televised debate has mysteriously said it doesn't have adequate resources to host a single television station to televise the debate. Could this be from the boot of a little emperor being placed on the throat of the university. Or worse yet, a university that has already thrown its support behind a particular little emperor. Inquiring minds want to know.

Not approving comment. Belongs on another post.

city of Jackson pulls shit similar to this all the time. Hanson is just churning crap, and singh wont go anywhere with this.

If Canton followed proper process, then the Zoning will prevail.

Perception of a "certificate of need" for a liquor store?

@ earlier comments: Singh tore down a building in the historic district on Liberty Street across the street from the new county courthouse and HUD apartments. Citizens groups opposed for several reasons: 1) it's a historic district and property is not zoned for a liquor/convenience store; 2) Canton has too many liquor stores and one is not needed in this area. 3) this would create a more dangerous intersection with kids crossing the highway to reach the convenience store--more so with police/fire vehicles constantly using this street as they exit the police/fire station. Merchants and Residents alike were all against it. Truth be told: all his convenience/gas stations have the highest prices and gas. The existing building should have never been demolished. Blackman was his attorney and was furious that citizens showed up in opposition--approximately 35 or so. This project was voted against by the Zoning Commission and the Mayor/Board of Alderman. Canton is not opposed to new businesses or the tax revenue they can create. There was an earlier moratorium on liquor stores--not just the one he mentions in his lawsuit. However, this project did not pass the smell test from the onset. Let him sue the city--maybe it will come out who he paid off to get the privilege license that should have never been issued.

Not that Canton needs another whiskey store, but is this the same historical zoning ordinance that prohibited "Keeping Canton Beautiful" from painting a mural on the side of a building last year? Truly said the mural was not representative of 'the struggle'.

Really Though? Does the Patel clan not have enough of a monopoly already on whiskey, gasoline and motels? They'd like to have a whiskey store every two hundred yards throughout Hinds and Madison Counties.

I've lived in Canton all my life. If the property that is mentioned in the post is next to the chancery court house and across the Liberty street from Kraft Auto Part there was a liquor store there and there was also a diner in building connected to it at one time. It had been empty from quite some time.

It totally ridiculous the number of captchs I had to go through to get this posted...…10 total

Drove by there last night. Think that at one time the MDOC Parole offices were on that spot. The old gas station is now under asphalt for the Circuit Court parking lot. There's an empty liquor store up on the square at Union and Center Street sitting there ready to go, Agree with earlier post, no real need for another liquor store, but the one on the square was easier for the drunks to walk to from the Hollow under the tree, a fine establishment well known to all Cantonites.

@6:41AM AND 7:55AM--There was a change in zoning many years ago and the North Street/Liberty Street corner is in the historic district and not zoned for a liquor store. The ole liquor store on the corner of Union and Center has been sold to a civic organization and is no longer empty. Too many liquor stores are going up now under questionable tactics: even in the Hollow there is a church right next door to a restaurant that sells liquor and no one can explain how that happened. Current Zoning Office/Zoning Board working hard to clean up what Redevelopment Authority and previous zoning officials neglected to do. Tourism Ex Director trying to force city to allow a Mexican restaurant permission to sell liquor and it's surrounded by 3-4 churches within 500 yards. Problem with Canton is city entities don't work together to abide by and enforce city ordinances--these exceptions need to be stopped. Too many power plays!

The cartel continues efforts to put a liquor store in the C-Store at North Old Canton - Yandell next to the golf-ball range. The cartel failed at the County level and looks like they've failed with the hundred illegal signatures on the petition. But they won't let it go. If they get all the rest of us pacified on whiskey and goat shish-ke-bob, they'll be happy.

The boys on foot await patiently.

No need for drunks to walk from the Hollow since there is a liquor store in the Hollow !

There was a service station where the old MDOC office sat. The tornado in 74 took it out. Also use to be a service station where Bank Plus is now.

The liquor store on the corner of center and union was where I legally bought my first bottle of booze. Before that we would go to Greenwood's Liquor store.....LC's folks !

"The cartel continues efforts to put a liquor store in the C-Store at North Old Canton - Yandell next to the golf-ball range". Believe that is near Deerfield and Harvey Crossing thus in the county, not the city.

@11:18 - The tourism and historical societies are all fine and good but when they deny a viable business a permit to expand their buildings because "its a historical landmark" is crazy. Look at Delta Muffler and Automotive on HWY 51 south next to the old Harreld Chevrolet. What they are calling a historical building is nothing more than an old cinder block Pure service station that sat empty for decades until Delta moved in to it. I'm all for preserving true historic buildings but an old cinder block service station just like the one on the corner of Union and Fulton that has been empty 40-50 years but cant be torn down because its in a "Historic" part of town is just crazy. Delta has moved in to the Harreld building and I"m happy for them now they have room to work.

FYI. Delta has moved into the Harreld Chevrolet building and I've heard that the city wants the Harreld folks to remove the large sign on top of the building. The old Delta shop is now back to being empty.

Problem with Redevelopment and Tourism is that they have been allowed to operate with complete autonomy and no accountability and no scope of work. Tourism has no clue how to market the town and relies mainly on a Mansell guy and his local newspaper for exposure which targets canton. Ex Director Padgett allows Mansell to promote his ice cream business on Tourism's face book page and in the Tourism Office and her staff serves it up--does he even have a permit to operate a kiosk stand there? Are they reporting sales taxes? They never promote Wendy's, McDonald's and other tax paying businesses who sell ice cream and their revenue has been funding Tourism for years. The good ole boy system in Canton continues thru these entities that set the tone and consider themselves beyond approach. Auditor White needs to send his people to Canton.

I don't see how the Harrelds can remove the sign since the Canton Historical Society has declared the Harreld Chevrolet building historical.

@2:59--don't think the Bldg is historical. The sign on the top of the Bldg received state/wide publicity for being the longest lighted sign iwhen it was first installed. It was such a novelty at the time people traveled from miles around to see it. @11:17--you are correct--tourism favors mansell media and does not advertise with other papers that reaches a broader audience and economic level.

The mayor of Canton would never suggest the Harreld sign be removed it that had been a black-owned dealership. But, since the building seventy years ago had black and white drinking fountains, it's gotta go.

Have no clue where some of you got your information about the Harreld Chevrolet building. BUT, the mayor or anyone at city hall has ever mentioned removing the Harreld Chevrolet sign. Anyone that says this is fake news.