The “outdoor superstore” Rural King is a step closer to locating in the old Kmart building on Highway 45.
Golden Triangle Development LINK CEO Joe Max Higgins announced the company’s identity during Tuesday’s city council meeting, two weeks after he first told the council a national retailer was interested in the spot.
The council also approved partnering with Lowndes County to provide the development with $2 million in tax incentives over 10 years.
Those include all the city’s allotment of sales taxes the retailer generates for the first five years and half for the next five. It also would abate half of the property taxes that would come from an increase in the site’s property value.
Higgins said county supervisors would consider the incentive agreement at its Monday meeting.
If the $2 million cap is met before 10 years, the incentives stop, Higgins said. They expire after 10 years, regardless of whether the cap is met.
Founded in 1960 and headquartered in Mattoon, Illinois, Rural King, a farm and home retailer, has 133 locations in 13 states, according to a fact sheet The LINK provided The Dispatch after Tuesday’s council meeting. This would be its first store in Mississippi.
“You can buy kids clothes. You can buy little boots. Little Overalls,” Higgins said. “You can buy chicken feed … a tractor, a pellet grill, you name it. … They generally bring people in from far off to shop.”
Rural King plans to invest $8 million to renovate the 110,000 square foot building that has been vacant since November 2018. Of that, Rural King will use 90,000 square feet for its store and recruit a second retailer to lease the remaining 20,000.
Renovations would begin next year and the stores would open in 2026, which would start the clock on the tax incentives.
With the city’s approval of the incentives, Higgins said he expects he can name the second tenant “fairly soon.”
The development is expected to create 60 to 70 jobs and an annual payroll of $1 million.
Mayor Keith Gaskin said he hopes the deal sets the stage for more retail recruitment to the city.
“We’re very pleased to learn tonight about Rural King’s interest in locating in Columbus,” he told The Dispatch. “The council looks forward to hearing from the county soon on their vote.”
Zack Plair is the managing editor for The Dispatch.
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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 46 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
