I'm proud to announce that the former King Edward Hotel [now called the Hilton Garden Inn Downtown Jackson] has opened its doors to the public. The ribbon-cutting took place last month and the apartments opened up on Jan. 1, with 60 of the 65 already filled. After sitting dormant for 40 years, the King Edward is alive and well. Here are some before and after pics:
BEFORE:
AFTER:
In 2009 (and many years previous), I heard countless naysayers say that the King Edward Hotel would never reopen - it did. Many said that the Farish Street Entertainment District would never begin construction and renovation work - it did. Even more said that the crime problem in Jackson would never decrease - it did. Jackson is taking off and leaving the pessimists in the dark. Many who had given up on Jackson over the years have re-evaluated their perception of Jackson and are starting the see the true beauty that this city possesses. Countless are trading in their former 'American Dream' in the burbs for Downtown residences. Apartments are sprouting up with almost every renovation project in an attempt to keep up with the strong demand for urban living. Businesses see this movement occurring and more and more of them are setting up shop near the new Downtown residences.
At a media luncheon last month, David Watkins [one of the developers of the King Edward renovation project] unveiled plans for the Riverwalk and Town Lake, an ambitious project that would feature a mile-long, concrete-lined canal that started at Farish Street and ended at Court Street, where it would empty into a 35-acre lake that connected to the Pearl River.
One side of the lake would feature a mix of apartments and condos, the other an arts district and a Hollywood bowl. A gospel music museum and a civil rights museum, which is currently planned to go up at Tougaloo College, have been thrown out as possibilities at the canal’s Farish Street beginning.
The Brookings Institution ranked Jackson in the top 20 strongest performing metro markets for the second AND third quarters of 2009. Forbes posted Jackson in their #3 spot for ‘best bang-for-the-buck cities’ just last month. Southwest Airlines chose Jackson as one of 7 U.S. cities to highlight in their publication “Spirit” magazine. CNN ranked Jackson in the top 15 among mid-size metro areas for best place to launch small business start-ups.
In 2009, the tide in Jackson not only turned but it gained serious momentum. There's a new attitude in the city and a strong generation of young adults who are determined to make this city reach it's fullest potential. The King Edward was but a benchmark that ignited the flame for many - the abandoned building stood as a symbol of all of the wrong in Jackson for years, and now it represents the future of all of the right that is happening now in the city. The buck does not stop there - the energy from this project has shifted to the nearby Standard Life Building which is under renovation as is the Farish Street Entertainment District just one block north. The smaller buildings in the area are increasingly becoming active again with retail and commercial options moving in to meet the needs of the ever growing downtown residents.
Despite the nation's terrible economy last year, 2009 was an impressive year for Jackson. Not only were new plans unveiled but instrumental projects were completed. I can't wait to see what 2010 has in store.