Officials push new projects in Holly Springs


Thursday, May 24, 2007
Community \| Obits \| Editorial & Columnists \| Society \| Sports \| Education \| Classified Ads \| Calendar of Events \| Features \| Newsbriefs \| Legals \| Archives \| Subscriptions \| Photo Gallery

Officials push new projects in Holly Springs

By SUE WATSON
Staff Writer

The Marshall County Industrial Development Authority (IDA) and the City of Holly Springs are pressing to close a sale on a vacant industrial building and have their thinking caps on with respect to planning for industrial park sites in and around the city and elsewhere.

Moves to try to open the West Valley Street pool and a half million dollar tourism grant to map plots in the cemetery also were nudged forward a bit at the May 15 board of aldermen meeting.

IDA executive director Bill Renick listed items to be completed for the city to get a capitalization loan (CAP) from Mississippi Development Authority to purchase the Wenco building at the Holly Springs Industrial Park. If the deal goes through as planned in mid-June, the city will have two buildings - the American Plastic Toys (Lund) building and the Wenco building - financed with CAP loans. With this financing the city enters lease-purchase agreements with the industrial partner, thereby filling up these existing buildings with new industries. That means more jobs for people in the city and Marshall County.

Renick said the lessee pays the monthly note on the CAP loan and after the loan is paid off, the industrial partner owns the building.

Local government can receive one CAP loan a year from MDA, Renick said. A CAP loan for $1 million, closed in December 2006, opened the way for the city and IDA to offer the American Plastic Toys building to Lund Precision Group. Lund, which is moving its U.S. headquarters to Holly Springs, hopes to be in full operation this summer, Renick has said. The company manufactures replacement parts for the agriculture industry.

He said the purchase of the Wenco building from Jeld-Wen corporation hinges on finalizing the sales agreement with the Wenco owner, executing a lease-purchase agreement with Cash In Transit, the industrial partner, and conclusion of several property appraisals, a survey and an environmental study.

Renick briefed the board on several other large industrial prospects IDA is angling for and emphasized the need for cooperation to land some of these big projects.

“We cannot do this without y’all,” he said. “Hopefully that’s what you’ve got us here for.”

In other business, the board of aldermen:

heard an inquiry from Gary Hickman with Bank of Holly Springs. He said the bank is planning to renovate the downtown bank inside and wants to tear down the old print shop and antique shop on Van Dorn and the old board room building behind the bank and a wood frame house behind the bank. The space is needed for more parking, Hickman said.
Alderman Tim Liddy, who serves on the Historic Preservation Committee, cautioned that the city planning commission and preservation need to agree with the bank on what will replace the old buildings, even though they are located on the fringe of the historic preservation district.

Hickman said the bank’s project is on the planning board with a set budget but it could take several years to finish the projects.

Alderman Nancy Hutchens noted that the moratorium on any new construction or demolition has already expired.

And Alderman Russell Johnson said the buildings the bank wants to demolish are not historic landmarks.

“So what’s the big deal?” he asked.
authorized B.J. Thomas to hold youth fellowship events in the parking lot behind City Hall during the summer.
Thomas said the program, “Taking It to the Streets,” will provide singing and motivational speaking in the evenings. The events are open to the community, but dates have not been set, he said.

The board advised that event insurance would have to be provided. Heritage Apostolic Church is sponsoring the series.
approved a motion for a special exception to allow Mississippi Black Wall Street in Holly Springs to sell beer at an outdoor event. Conditional exception was granted provided the operator gets a beer license, special event liability insurance coverage and purchases a transient vendor’s license.
accepted a proposal administering a half million dollar cemetery restoration grant. The grant would map all plots in the old and new sections of HillCrest Cemetery and provide a data base on site for tourists to find plots by name of the deceased using computers.
received a report from the mayor on prospects for opening the pool on West Valley this season.
Two insurance quotes were provided and the mayor said advertising had turned up only one lifeguard certified by Red Cross. Two more certified life guards are needed to reopen the pool.

Report News: (662) 252-4261 or south@dixie-net.com
Questions, comments, corrections: south@dixie-net.com
©2004, The South Reporter, All Rights Reserved.
No part of this site may be reproduced in any way without permission.
The South Reporter is a member of the Mississippi Press Association.

Web Site managed and maintained by
South Reporter webmasters Linda Jones, Kristian Jones
Web Site Design - The South Reporter

Back | Top of Page