Mayor, council want to take over Farish Street redevelopment (Jackson: 2015, tax)

[golden eagles fan]

An article published today on the Mississippi Business Journal's website talks about how Mayor Yarber and the council want to take over and basically start over.

Rethinking Farish Street

If this hasn't been the biggest boondoggle ever, then I don't know what is. I'm rather leery about the city getting involved. I just don't know what to do with Farish Street. It's as if it's been cursed.

[zblanton1]

Well they're gonna be asking the community what they want to see, so it sounds like the city may be wanting to play more to the community of the area, which is fine!

[madison2013]

I know what they can do. They can drop it and focus their time and energy on something else.

[GrandviewGloria]

The basic premise underlying the development was that Jackson needs a 'Mini Bourbon Street', and that "Blues clubs" are what makes Bourbon Street (and Memphis' Bourbon Street knockoff, Beale Street).

But Jackson, Mississippi needs a place for people to stagger-around drunk, about like it needs a hole in the.. Well... like it needs another hole in the streets.

Nobody listens to Blues, particularly the tired old stumbling garbage passing, today, as 'Mississippi Blues', except old, white, alcoholic, 'intellectual' snobs, and a few among the Black Elite, who are proud of getting to hang out with old white alcoholic 'intellectual' snobs.

That's not much of a potential market. There are not enough people like that in the entire WORLD, to make such a district economically viable. And few of those would be willing to travel to Jackson, Mississippi, just to be able to sit and and drink and listen to Blues, in a town which has nothing else to offer them.

People don't drink as much, these days. And they don't have money to waste, like they used to. And if they do want to drink and waste money, they don't want to sit and listen to that boring old mess.

The premise is decades behind the times, and never did address the interests of anybody but a few pseudo-intellectual snobs.

So, great! Identify the things that real Jacksonians do want to do. I hope Mayor Yarber finds out what those things are.

[golden eagles fan]

Originally Posted by madison2013

I know what they can do. They can drop it and focus their time and energy on something else.

Best laugh I had all day!

[madison2013]

Originally Posted by GrandviewGloria

The basic premise underlying the development was that Jackson needs a 'Mini Bourbon Street', and that "Blues clubs" are what makes Bourbon Street (and Memphis' Bourbon Street knockoff, Beale Street).

But Jackson, Mississippi needs a place for people to stagger-around drunk, about like it needs a hole in the.. Well... like it needs another hole in the streets.

Nobody listens to Blues, particularly the tired old stumbling garbage passing, today, as 'Mississippi Blues', except old, white, alcoholic, 'intellectual' snobs, and a few among the Black Elite, who are proud of getting to hang out with old white alcoholic 'intellectual' snobs.

That's not much of a potential market. There are not enough people like that in the entire WORLD, to make such a district economically viable. And few of those would be willing to travel to Jackson, Mississippi, just to be able to sit and and drink and listen to Blues, in a town which has nothing else to offer them.

People don't drink as much, these days. And they don't have money to waste, like they used to. And if they do want to drink and waste money, they don't want to sit and listen to that boring old mess.

The premise is decades behind the times, and never did address the interests of anybody but a few pseudo-intellectual snobs.

So, great! Identify the things that real Jacksonians do want to do. I hope Mayor Yarber finds out what those things are.

Great stuff from someone who doesn't live in Mississippi. Atleast you don't have a million dumb youtube links in this post. Thanks.

[golden eagles fan]

Here's an interview with Mayor Yarber in this week's Jackson Free Press. While not the most comprehensive interview, he did outline some things he has done or is doing.

Sketching a Plan for Jackson: The JFP Interview with Mayor Tony Yarber | JFP Mobile | Jackson, Mississippi

[Popquez87]

I like that Mayor Yarber spoke on the importance of public transit in the city. I would love to see Jackson get some of the technology I've used in other cities. For example, we need more stops with benches and covers, gps tracking on phones, screens with ETA on bus benches, etc. I also like that he mentions increasing hours and more service.

Also, I may have read it incorrectly, but it seems with the one percent tax that he would like to add more sidewalks to the city. That would be wonderful. Sidewalks helps make a city feel more urban and encourage walking. I like that he seems to be thinking outside the box - as far as Jackson politics go - for the future of the city.

[zblanton1]

He also mentioned a high speed rail corridor along I-20, which I'm assuming he's mentioning a long-running plan formulating to turn the railroad from Jackson to Shreveport into a high speed rail corridor. It'd be nice, but I don't know how those things are exactly built and managed! Will freight traffic still be allowed to travel the rail? That rail spans from Atlanta-Birmingham-Meridian-Jackson-Shreveport-Dallas, and it is a MAJOR freight corridor.

[golden eagles fan]

Originally Posted by Popquez87

Also, I may have read it incorrectly, but it seems with the one percent tax that he would like to add more sidewalks to the city. That would be wonderful. Sidewalks helps make a city feel more urban and encourage walking. I like that he seems to be thinking outside the box - as far as Jackson politics go - for the future of the city.

I like the sidewalks idea, especially on major thoroughfares in the city. It does give the city a more urban feel.