OKTIBBEHA COUNTY — This year’s legislative appropriations bill included $6 million to help build a new headquarters for Mississippi Highway Patrol Troop G at Cornerstone Park.
Once complete, it will replace the existing substation on Mississippi State University property at the Highway 182 and East Lee Boulevard intersection.
Talks of the new substation have been ongoing for years. The Oktibbeha County Economic Development Authority donated a parcel at Cornerstone Park to the MHP in 2013.
District 43 Rep. Rob Roberson (R-Starkville) said the upgrade is long overdue.
“The reality was that we’re the last Highway Patrol station to get fixed or (replaced),” Roberson said. “We’ve been on the project list for the past 15 or 20 years, and the outdated … station that we’re in has outlived its ability to do what needs to be done.”
Roberson said the new location will have helicopter pads for emergency services and space for drug enforcement offices. He called it a “total change” for how the troop operates.
Over the past two sessions, the legislature has put $10 million toward the project, which Roberson said was enough to get it built.
Construction should start later this year.
“I’m proud that it’s finally getting finished,” Roberson said.
Starkville
The city received $2 million for its planned Main Street Redesign Project in the appropriations bill. This continued funding will help to support the redesign of the roadways and the expansion of the sidewalks on Main Street.
“Thank you to our legislators in getting us that $2 million for our Main Street Project,” Mayor Lynn Spruill said. “I’m very excited about that and very grateful that they’re helping us move that forward.”
The Main Street Redesign Project will compress the street and eliminate turn lanes to create a larger “pedestrian zone” on Main Street.
This will give businesses the ability to set up outdoor seating and spaces on the sidewalk.
The project will narrow the stretch of Main Street east of City Hall, create outdoor event space and increase pedestrian access.
Spruill said the Main Street Project has increased from a $10 million project to almost $12 million, but the $2 million should help to complete the “next phase.” She previously said the city had $4.5 million in commitments toward the project before getting the newest appropriation.
She said the road may be completed in sections over time, and that city leaders will also be looking to reduce costs as the project continues.
“When the Main Street Project was originally designed, we thought that we would take it all the way from City Hall all the way down to Montgomery Street,” Spruill said. “But it may very well be that we can get two blocks done — by that I mean to the Jackson Street intersection and then skip the part between Jackson Street and Montgomery — and then take care of the Montgomery street intersection.”
Spruill said the city will continue to look for more money from other sources, like bonds, to complete the Main Street Project.
Oktibbeha County
The legislature also committed $1 million to Oktibbeha County to help fund the construction of a new administrative building at the site of the old Felix Long Hospital.
The county controls the old hospital site that had been used for office space before deteriorating conditions led supervisors to relocate those agencies — including Extension and the Department of Human Services — to a building on Lynn Lane.
County supervisors are now seeking to demolish the old hospital and board president Orlando Trainer said the county has set aside $500,000 in bond money toward that end.
He said the county will also be trying to get “other sources of funding” to cover the rest of construction “in a reasonable time frame.”
“We have some other avenues through which we’re trying to get allocations on the federal level,” Trainer said. “We’re working hard with our congressional representatives.”
Trainer said the board does not have total cost estimates for the new building yet, but Major Design Studios of Columbus is working to create a preliminary design.
In other appropriations, county volunteer fire departments at Adaton Self Creek, Central Oktibbeha, Maben and Sturgis each received $50,000 for “various department costs.” The Maben station received an additional $50,000 for roof repairs.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 44 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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