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A town ... poised for great things - 10:49 AM - March , 2010
Construction noise is nothing new to this 1,500-person town, which is getting a $1.5 million makeover.
"There is always racket and noise, but it does add a vibe," said Pelahatchie Mayor Knox Ross, who monitors the construction from his accounting office in downtown. "There's something always going on."
Work began on two new projects this week: a plaza at the central intersection of Second and Brooks streets and sidewalk upgrades for GoForth Street, one of downtown's key side streets.
"We're trying to get people downtown to wander around," said Ross, who has been mayor for about 14 years. "The whole point of this is an overall strategy to enhance the walkability and attractiveness of the town.
"We believe that we must give people a reason to live here, and this serves to enhance out attractiveness."
The plaza will include a splash pad, and sidewalk upgrades are what the town calls streetscaping, fresh sidewalks with ample landscaping to spruce up the town's interior, Ross said.
"I believe when these projects are complete, we will have a town that is poised for great things," Ross said.
Already under way are the remodeling City Hall and the renovation of a hardware store into the town's first Community Center.
These projects are funded from the town's general fund, grants and donations from residents. Some of the money for the most recent projects has come through the sale of personalized bricks and benches to line the town's plaza and streets, which so far has raised $30,000, Ross said.
Jerry Holliday is in the process of opening a woodworking shop downtown, a place he chose because of the small-town atmosphere.
"It's a historic district," said Holliday, who owns Holliday Woodworks on Second Street. "I'm hoping what I do is a fit - complementary of the historic town."
Another new business headed to town is Limelight Boutique, which is scheduled to open April 1 on Second Street. Owner Tanya Carter said she chose Pelahatchie because it was a good fit.
"If anyone wants anything, you have to go to Forest or Brandon," Carter said. "By the time they get off work, they don't want to drive anywhere else."
Ross said he believes in classical city design and doesn't want Pelahatchie to fall into the trap that other Rankin County cities have: sprawl.
Next on the list is a new recreation center, and Ross said he has found the perfect location - 35 acres southeast of town. The property was purchased Friday, and Ross went to Washington seeking funding for the project.
The site is within walking distance of Pelahatchie Attendance Center and East Rankin Academy.
Ball fields are now located at the Pelahatchie Industrial Park, but the site will be used for the future Juvenile Justice Center.
"The ball park right now is way out of town," said Town Clerk Bettye Massey. "It'll be convenient for the children and the parents."
The recreation center will be called Milltown because it sits at an old housing site for people working at the town's old sawmill. Baseball and soccer fields will be the first part of Milltown to be built. Also included in the park's plans are tennis courts, a playground and amphitheater.
"We can't do it all unless pennies start raining from heaven," Ross said, "but we'd like to eventually do it."
(From article in Rankin Ledger by Justin Fritscher)
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