Friday, October 15, 2021

Moonstruck

 Jackson is shooting for the stars as it rebuilds the planetarium. WBT reported:

Jackson is moving forward on plans to renovate the Russell C. Davis Planetarium, and has issued a $5.5 million bond to help fund the work.

Tuesday, the city council approved a resolution to issue the bonds, which will be used to pay for the first phase of renovations at the site.

Work on the downtown Jackson destination was expected to get underway this fall, but work has been delayed due to “shifts in construction,” said Deputy Director of Cultural Services David Lewis.

“We were hoping to have it sometime before the IBC in 2023, but given shifts in general construction delays and whatnot, we were given a (new) estimated time (of) the end of 2023,” he said....

Lewis said he would like to break ground on the project in 2022.

“Everything is fluid right now. Our main concern is we want to make sure it is done well and done right,” he said. “The work our design team and exhibition team have shown us so far has been exceeding our expectations. Everybody is going to be thrilled with what we’re proposing and what will become of the planetarium.”.... Article

Kingfish note: Things that make you go hmmmm.....

“Regions has provided us with a term sheet that doesn’t necessarily lock in a 1.83 percent interest rate, but based on the prevailing rates at the time when we actually execute and close, that will be rate,” said bond counsel Trey Hairston.

The bond is being awarded to the city by Regions Bank and is being structured through the Mississippi Development Bank.

Hairston said the city is going through the development bank because it will allow the city to “push the first principal payment out far enough” to give the city time to reopen the planetarium.

Projections show that once the renovations are completed, the planetarium will generate between $600,000 to $900,000 alone in ticket sales.

 

 

49 comments:

Anonymous said...

If you buy those newly issued bonds for this project, you better also learn how to run a planetarium, because you are going to own one.

Anonymous said...

I hope this isnt like the smith park project. If you do not remember, they paid something like two million dollars to have it renovated and had these large cloaks up around the park while they renovated. When they dropped the barriers bam.......same EXACT park they had before.

This was NEVER spoken of again by anyone.

Anonymous said...

Hope they have enough money to install Kevlar panels in the dome or..."Is that a star? Nope."

Anonymous said...

Everything backwards. Water...sewer...garbage...pot holes....murder.....PARKING METERS which make lots of money all stand in basic ruin and they are dumping money into a facility people quit attending years ago. It once operated well and made money. It no longer does. Idiots.

Anonymous said...

An absolute waste. I can’t remember it I have already told this tale but here goes.

My wife and I decided to visit the planetarium in the winter of 2018. We wandered around inside for a good 45 minutes hoping to see someone to buy a ticket. We hoped perhaps someone would see us on the surveillance and come out of hiding. The gift shop, concessions, everything was unattended. Finally my wife called the Planetarium’s phone number and someone answered. They came out of their office, sold us tickets, and told us that the projectionist would arrive shortly to begin the show. We waited an additional 30 minutes in the theater. The wait was long enough for the projectionist to drive from somewhere in the metro.

This experience convinced me that the Planetarium is another worthless make-work city boondoggle where the workers are doing nothing between visits by school field trips besides just drawing a check and counting the days to PERS.

Anonymous said...

“We were hoping to have it sometime before the IBC in 2023, but given shifts in general construction delays and whatnot, we were given a (new) estimated time (of) the end of 2023,” he said....
Lewis said he would like to break ground on the project in 2022.


Newsflash. These "shifts" are called supply chain issues, hyper inflation, and labor shortages. Many major construction project have been put on hold due to the current construction market. Mark my word, this renovation will not be completed by the end of 2023, I don't care who is doing it. It's mid October 21 and we are announcing we are raising capital for the project. No way this is done that quick.

Anonymous said...

While I do not have high hopes for the renovation, I as an adult, would love to revisit Pink Floyd at the Planetarium like when I was a child with my dad.

Anonymous said...

Chokwe has a presser on this, not the crime and shootouts going on. #tonef'ndeaf

Anonymous said...

I love the planetarium, and I’m going to make a commitment to support it more often when it reopens. You can’t bitch about there not being enough positive things to do in Jackson and then bitch when someone is actually doing something about it. Well, you can, but don’t expect to be taken seriously.

Anonymous said...

10:22 am ...and you must be blind.

Did you not read that " the city council approved..."?

I'd suggest that those of you who want to attack all things Jackson ( and especially Fondren that is prospering), tend to your own "neck of the woods"!

You might realize that if you tried as hard to find fault anywhere as in Jackson, you'd find it.

Anonymous said...

10:17 am Did you bother to find out why no one was around?

The planetarium always had a schedule of showings. It has experienced problems and needed maintenance for years and posts when it is not open/operational.

I suspect those folks showed you a kindness as they often do at the museums in town.

Most of the employees feel privileged to "work in history, art and science" rather than to count widgets.

Anonymous said...

#WorstJacksonMayorEVER

Anonymous said...

How many people need to pay $10 to go to a planetarium in order to justify this cost? Planetariums are cool I guess, been to a couple in my day, I just don't see the demand.

Anonymous said...

What does a Deputy Director of Cultural Services have to do with the planetarium?

Anonymous said...

As I recall, the projector was donated by the Adler Planetarium in Chicago. The same projector I saw as a kid in 1963. Maybe upgrade that?

Anonymous said...

Close the zoo.

Aisle B Bach said...

who needs the planetarium...if you want to see craters just look at the roads...

Anonymous said...

Non-functional city government managed by a bloated (and too often obese) staff.

Anonymous said...

Rumor has it that the mayor is going to seek bond money for a rocket program on the same lines of Amazon Jeff Bezo. I'll take a flight to edge of space. Located in Lake Hico.

Anonymous said...

@10:43
10:17 here.
We went there based on their online schedule for shows.

Anonymous said...

The sad part is that the planetarium will not thrive.

The sadder part is that downtown is spiraling.

The saddest part is that the Mayor is oblivious to what should be a priority.

If he truly wanted people to come to Jackson, he's start by cleaning up issues with crime and law enforcement, and that pesky infrastructure. NOTHING will grow/move forward in Jackson until these issues are remedied. NOTHING!!

Anonymous said...

The planetarium will give new meaning to the term "shooting for the stars."

Anonymous said...

If you go down there you’ll be bullet struck.

Good luck.

Pissing Away "Free" Money, a Million at a Time said...

This should attract those elusive tourists who have a choice of visiting Gulf Shores or Jackson.

Krusatyr said...

When voters are mired in broken buildings, busted streets, failing schools, boil water bulletins, bs and bullets, tell them to look up at the stars and howl at the moon?


Anonymous said...

Jackson is trying to spend its way out of bankruptcy. For your information, it will not work, and never has worked.

Anonymous said...

Tray Hairston fleecing yet another group of taxpayers. These people will never learn.

Macy Hanson said...

The first (and most important) rule of being a bond attorney is: say whatever needs to be said to get the bonds issued - and your fees paid (up front). Let the creditors who buy the junk worry about whether the financial projections and other representations are true or based in sound economic reasoning.

YP. Your problem. Not an MP.

I would want a much higher yield on these bonds before I would ever consider buying them. But what do I know.

Anonymous said...

I am shocked that there are around 350 planetariums in the U.S. Check out go-astronomy.com

Anonymous said...


October 15, 2021 at 10:38 AM and October 15, 2021 at 10:31 AM

if i'm living in a shitty little house that's falling down around me, half the roof missing, and barely have running water, the last thing i need to be concerned with is how nice a stereo or tv i want to buy. if that were my situation and i did care more about having a nice stereo or tv, then my priorities are obviously fucked up and backwards. i will never get ahead with priorities that out of whack.

that is why we rip on everything jackson does. because everything they do does not address the quality of life issues that actually matter, that are affecting everyone in jackson.

you do know there were cars chasing each other and shooting at each other on capitol street the other day, crashing in front of buildings, right?

you do know jackson went without water for several weeks earlier this year, right?

you do know the per capita murder rate in jackson puts it near the top for the country, right?

do i need to mention the state of jackson public schools and their degradation rates?

do i need to mention the state of jackson roads?

until these basic necessities of a functional city are addressed, we will continue to piss on your jackson parade and shit on your jackson window dressing. the phrase, "putting lipstick on a pig" doesn't even apply here, things are so fucked up. rankin built their own sewage processing plant partially because of the complete ineptitude of jackson's ability to run their own.

if jackson took care of the basics, maybe they would have a growing tax base instead of a shrinking tax base. maybe jackson would be growing in population instead of decreasing population. maybe jackson would have more visitors from the surrounding burbs to support more nice things, the "wants." right now, jackson can't even take care of the "needs" and the "have to haves."

we don't care if you don't take us seriously for always finding fault in jackson. we take our safety, infrastructure, schools, and quality of life seriously, and that's what we care about. and that's why many of us moved the hell outta jackson, preferring to stay in our own "neck of the woods."

Anonymous said...

Deputy Director of Cultural Services?

Wonder what the CHIEF (Mainmost) Cultural Director does?

Oh wait... I'll bet delegates to the Deputy..

Anonymous said...

Everyone's a critic. The city is in rough shape, and littered with enough unrealized projects to make anyone cynical, but giving up is not an option. The only way out is through. There are a handful of true gems downtown... the two museums and the art museum stand out. One day, this planetarium should be on that list; if it is, it'll be due to the vision, faith and hard work of those who had the guts to give it a try, and no thanks to the naysayers who seem to take pleasure in being right when things go sideways.

Anonymous said...

"10:17 here. We went there based on their online schedule for shows."

That was your mistake, my friend. Expecting the City staff to post current, accurate information on their website. I know that's how things should work, but this is Jackson.

Anonymous said...

Jackson is trying to spend its way out of bankruptcy.

Actually Jackson is working feverishly to exhaust all remaining debt capacity available before it is forced to declare bankruptcy.

The tax base is tanking as you read this.

Chowke's Shell Game said...

More smoke and mirrors from the boy mayor chowke.

Anonymous said...


October 15, 2021 at 1:40 PM; please read or re-read my post, 1:12pm. just substitute degradation for graduation. i was in a hurry, and tim apple's spell check got me.

but i'll add; what good are they if people don't want to come to jackson to see them? what good are nice museums and a planetarium, if the roads to get there cause you to need a front-end alignment? what good are those attractions if there are stray bullets flying? what good are they if there's no water? these are valid questions, because these are things that keep people out of jackson.

as much as i rip on jackson, i really want her to succeed. it's in the best interest of everybody; jackson, suburbs, the whole state.

but when your house is falling apart, and you're more worried about borrowing money to buy a new tv or stereo, than fixing the things things that matter, then you deserve every bit of criticism that comes your way.

Anonymous said...

I remember when it was a top notch operation. I remember meeting Ron McNair at an event there. Maybe it can make a comeback.

Anonymous said...

This entire string of comments is fascinating because there are NO COMMENTS WHATSOEVER about the CL's article on its own website. What does that say about the CL's readers? Or the newspaper itself? Thank goodness for JJ & the healthy discussion it causes, regardless of where you stand. I personally think the CL's readers have given up on the newspaper, but most are like me, an old fart who likes a newspaper with my morning coffee.

Anonymous said...

... and no thanks to the naysayers who seem to take pleasure in being right when things go sideways.

Sideways and decline has been the 25+ year(s) long term trend. The observation isn't pleasurable but is factual. It would be about 'guts' if the funding was private, not another involuntary infusion of taxpayer dollars into a proven and documented failed downtown strategy.

Anonymous said...

@12:27. You hit the proverbial nail on the head.

Anonymous said...

With all the suicide prevention commercials playing on Supertalk, has anybody considered keeping an eye on Chock, Junior?

Rebel Without A Cause said...

Used to be people only got shot at a planetarium in the movies.

Anonymous said...

1.83%? No one can make or save money on that. Who cares? If it is worth saving, save it. Same thing for the zoo, which languishes while Nero fiddles. Both are unique Jackson attractions. Save the Planetarium! Save the Zoo! Both are good for you!

Anonymous said...

10:40 you are right... these projects are good... good for creating worthless shrines to politicians who bamboozled their constituents (feeling good about the Convention Center, Harvey?) with "pie-in-the-sky" projections to citizens who either refuse to see what's going wrong with this city or live in a Utopia of their own mind.

1:40... there may be gems downtown but next time any of these "gems" (including the zoo) actually can function without bailouts and have more than one visitor a day, then I'll your arguement... if I don't lose my car driving there or get shot on Capitol Street... (the convention center and auditorium are only a block away from that last shooting).

I have a solution... just projects the stars on the ceiling in the Convention Center -- there isn't anything else planned there yet?

Anonymous said...

@1:12 and 3:53 haha .. thought ‘degradation’ was a bit of an odd word choice; still, it kinda worked. @4:47 CL has 3 things going for it: cryptogram, word jumble, NYT crossword. Otherwise it’s a f’ing joke.

That'sMisterDeplorableToYou said...

It's a display of the culture, really. The culture of Jackson as a whole and the culture of a large part of its citizenry: the leaky roof is doing structural damage to the house but there's no money in the budget to fix it. So let's go buy a brand new car.

Anonymous said...

i just heard a buwett fired here in the F.

Anonymous said...

If this is about “culture” build or expand a prison.

Anonymous said...

Jackson shouldn’t build a tourist attraction because of a national big city crime wave and potholes? You can drive from Madison county to the planetarium via state street right now without encountering a single pothole. Good and bad things happen simultaneously in every city. People working on improvements always understand that. Losers in the peanut gallery never do.


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