STARKVILLE – Aldermen approved initial development plans Tuesday for two projects that could bring new housing and commercial opportunities to the city’s west side and downtown.
During their regular meeting at City Hall, aldermen approved an initial plat for Sterling Ridge, a proposed single-family subdivision near the intersection of Mockingbird Road and Highway 182, and a final plat for Barter Row, a planned mixed-use redevelopment near 300 University Drive.
Mayor Lynn Spruill said she was glad to see continued investment in housing opportunities across Starkville and is hopeful for more downtown residential development.
“Residential housing downtown, I think, is a critical piece of how we keep our downtown vibrant and continuing to be a place where people want to be,” she told The Dispatch on Tuesday. “You need to have 24/7 participation in your downtown, and that’s what residential will do for that. … That’s one of the things … we were trying to do with our new downtown development. … I think all those things are becoming part of the plan for how downtown is going to evolve.”
Developer Charles Morgan’s plans for Sterling Ridge call for 163 single-family homes on roughly 51 acres west of the city.
Downtown, Brett Brasher of Neel-Schaffer submitted plans for Barter Row, which would develop property encompassing the existing Regions Bank building as well as four other nearby lots surrounding Reeds of Starkville into a mixed-use development with residential and commercial space.
Those efforts are planned to be completed with a phased approach. Phase 1 would reconfigure five existing lots into two parcels – one would include the existing Regions Bank building, while the second would encompass the remaining 1.6 acres surrounding Reeds.
Phase 2 would involve renovating the existing bank building to include residential space on the upper floors. Future phases then call for the addition of several mixed-use buildings and parking on the second parcel, though no formal plans for those phases have been submitted to the city for review.
Both developments must still complete additional planning and development steps before construction can begin.
Neither Morgan nor Brasher responded to requests for additional information by press time Tuesday.
Roundabout project advances
During the meeting, the board also approved a perpetual easement with Mississippi State University to allow construction of a multi-use pedestrian and bicycle path near the Highway 12 bypass and Garrard Road.
The path will connect to an existing trail near the Garrard Road and Old West Point Road intersection and is a major component of the city’s planned roundabout project near Walmart Neighborhood Market, City Engineer Cody Burnett told The Dispatch.
Burnett said construction of the roundabout and adjoining multi-use path is expected to begin by March 2027 as design work wraps up this fall.
Plans for the roundabout stem from a 2024 traffic safety study conducted through the Federal Highway Administration’s Safe Streets and Roads for All Grant Program, which identified the dangerous intersections throughout the city.
“One of the areas that was really at the top of the list was Highway 12 from there at Garrard Road pretty much to south of Russell Street,” Burnett said. “… A lot of that is because it’s such a large intersection. It’s only a two-way stop … so you get this disparity where people are coming off Highway 82 at high speeds and you’ve got this really minor street where people are trying to cross this huge intersection. It’s really, really dangerous.”
Burnett said he expects traffic along the corridor to continue increasing as the area continues to develop, potentially leading to more accidents if safety measures are not put in place. The roundabout is meant to slow down traffic exiting from Highway 82 to improve safety for both motorists and pedestrians.
The city received roughly $8 million from the Safe Streets for All program to fund the project, which requires a 20% match from the city. Once construction begins, Burnett estimates it will take about a year to complete.
“My thought is that this is the last piece of Highway 12 that’s undeveloped, mostly, … so we’re trying to go ahead and make it safe for people now, where you can kind of set that precedent of being able to walk and bike in the area,” Burnett said.
Other business
In other business, the board:
■ issued $1 million in bonds as part of its tax increment financing plan agreement with HPM Development’s Parker Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram dealership on Parker-McGill Drive;
■ vacated a public lane located between West Gillespie Street and McKinley Street;
■ announced the city’s annual Memorial Day Celebration, scheduled for 11 a.m. May 25 outside of the courthouse at 101 East Main St.; and
■ noted citywide trash pickup will take place March 26.
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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 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
