[Editorial]  Let the Private Sector Work

April 13, 2011

Jackson developers are pushing for the state government to move the Mississippi Department of Revenue into privately owned property somewhere in Jackson, and we can't blame them.

Sen. Dean Kirby, R-Pearl, says the department's current headquarters in Raymond is aging and dangerous. The problem, however, is that state leaders appear to want the headquarters in a new state-owned building near Lakeland Drive. Ward 1 Councilman Quentin Whitwell and Jackson former councilman and Downtown Jackson Partners President Ben Allen say Kirby and his crew initially pushed for a $50 million bond bill funding construction of the Lakeland facility. Kirby said as much himself, giving us a reasonable gauge on what this new building could conceivably cost taxpayers in these days of steep budget cuts.

Remember the fight over $20 million last month in K-12 education funds, and the battle over a $55 million museum complex in downtown Jackson? These were big issues, yet the Senate nearly passed $50 million in new debt to fund a brand new building near residents that Whitwell says don't really want to see any new state-owned development in their back yards.

Developers David Watkins, Ted Duckworth and others say they already have facilities sitting in Jackson that could either accommodate the department already, or soon could with only minimal build-out.

Watkins, in particular, wants to lease property in the Metrocenter Mall to the department. Watkins Development LLC Vice President Jason Goree said they're willing to offer the state a 20-year lease-to-own deal, which can handle the kind of space a government agency needs, for considerably less than $50 million. The city of Jackson is already moving some of its administrative offices into the same mall. This healthy recycling should continue.

In addition, Goree said facilities at the mall meet strict safety standards and are already energy efficient and up-to-date. The location offers a quick connection to Interstates 20 and 220, and will generate revenue at the neighboring mall shops that will be happy to sell state workers their lunch and other products. Imagine being a state worker who gets to hoof it through the air-conditioned mall interior to Sears to take care of Christmas shopping right after work. After 20 years, the state could own the property, depending upon the lease deal.

This set-up offers the added plus of being privately owned property, at least for a few decades, which will not create another government-owned revenue sink inside the city of Jackson. We already have enough of those with more than a quarter of city property untaxable.

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