Dancing Like It’s 1984

How anybody could be more in favor or demolishing the King Ed than restoring it - especially when there's apparently a bona fide plan for it - is beyond me. And that the mayor is one of it's biggest detractors is even more mind boggling.

If it can be saved and there are investors willing to give it a go, it's a no-brainer. Simple as that. Downtown Jackson doesn't need another parking lot, like one particulary enlightened C-L interviewee from a few months ago dared to dream of the King Ed.

I also cannot understand why Melton has it in for the KEH. The only reason I recall Melton giving is that we (i.e. all of Jackson) have long since heard random investors’ dreams of an epic renovation, with no fruition to date. I for one am not privy to all as seemingly is the case with the all-knowing Melton, but Jackson needs this to be successful in the worst way!

I part company with most of the posters here in that I wouldn't mind seeing the King Ed imploded, as do a number of my friends, because we have no sentimental attachment to this former local icon, and we're skeptical that renovating a building that has been abandoned for 40 years and has significant environmental hazards and costly modernization issues is a sound investment, architectural value not withstanding. It appears to us layfolk to be a financial black hole, and many of us are just sick and tired of looking at it day in and day out as a home for vagrants and pigeons, bringing down that side of the downtown area. More important, the condition of the structure and the many broken promises to renovate it by other private investors over the years as the Da Mayor indicated has left a lot of us jaded and cynical. Having said that, I believe Da Mayor has an obligation to honor the efforts of the previous adminstration and council to secure private investors who have made a good faith effort and commitment to renovate the building, and be supportive of it in the local media, who he treats as his personal bully pulpit (except the JFP). It sends a bad message to the business and developer community to keep flip flopping and talking out of both sides of his mouth on this issue...let David Watkins' group proceed with their work and more power to them, and if at the end of the day if they can make this thing work, we will all breath a sigh of gratitude that an seemingly impossible task has become a reality, resulting in hopefully be a top-shelf, world class project that would probably garner national attention. And if it doesn't materialize, tear the damn thing down once and for all.

"And if it doesn't materialize, tear the damn thing down once and for all."

I agree that this needs to be the last stand for the King Ed. I certainly hope it can be renovated, but if it can't it needs to be gone ASAP.

Have any of the past projects come as close as this one to being done? This one really has legs if they can get the grant.

It cannot be renovated if the city doesn't do the work necessary to launch the project. Why do certain leaders in Jackson have to be so backwards - a$$ when it comes to development? Remember how our City Council screwed up and MCI went to Clinton over some minor changes in the building. How come in Memphis or B'ham or Atlanta when a developer wants to build something or renovate old warehouses the city council and mayors bendover backwards to make it happen? Here they want the developer to bendover so they can do a full exam before they tell you no or at best maybe!

I guess they don't have any old buildings in Tyler, TX? I can take anyone here to several cities and show you buildings that were in far worst shape then the KEH and are now top notch apartments or offices or retail. Anyone got friends in the Cabbage Town Lofts in Atlanta? That place was a dump.

Let's face it, Melton has some kind of personal issue with the KEH and whoever is developing it. Must be a Dallas Cowboys fan or something to reject one of Jackson's newest developers - Deuce McA. - when they are willing to risk so much. The guy is buying car dealerships when we can't even keep a grocery store in town. Melton shops at the Kroger on I-55 and the shops nearby, so he probably doesn't give a flying flip that everyone north of him on Old Canton is going to the Kroger or the Walmart (yes walmart) in Ridgeland, thus the sales tax is going to Ridgeland too! The Brookshires is a pain because you have to go down Atkins to get there and at 5 oclock that is near impossible. But, the Kroger is right there sucking tax dollars from Jackson. Where are our grocery stores Mayor Melton? Where is our downtown development? Where are our safe streets? Not to mention smoother! Oh, that is right you gave the money back to help with the jails... Oh, that is right you hate the KEH, so you are going to tear it down! Oh that is right, you can't get a handle on crime so why should any new businesses move to Jackson. sigh!

"Have any of the past projects come as close as this one to being done? This one really has legs if they can get the grant."

I don't have a vivid memory of ALL of the proposals I've heard rumors about dating back to the 70s, but I remember at least a couple in the last few years which almost happened. The first was during the heyday of the WorldCom telecommunications bubble, when it was suggested that KEH be converted to the Telecom Center. The former mayor was also given promises early in his first term by one of the former owners I think to renovate it which never happened, which is one reason the City later made an effort to acquire the property thru JRA. Some group out of Wisconsin (I can't remember the name) was going to renovate it and ended up walking away in a dispute about the parking garage. I also seem to remember Wyndam Hotels being very interested a couple of years ago before HRI put their proposal in.

Like I said earlier, I think Melton needs to really get on board with this project and actively push for the renovation work to move forward (and not demonizing them in the media) and do everything he and his staff can to meet the deadlines required for funding and keep the project moving along its "critical path". That requires that he quit dangling the wrecking ball option in their faces unless it becomes clear that the project has hit a major impasse and it's clearly not going to happen (and by no fault of the City's). My fear is that when the all of the "unknowns" are discovered (as with any renovation project), change orders and design modifications start rolling in, this thing is going to become a money pit that we may end up having to finance for the developer.