Developer Moves Forward With Farish Street

The bad weather forces organizers to cancel a pep rally along Farish Street for the Jackson State football game.  Events like this mean big business for downtown Jackson where developers are working hard to breathe life back into the capital city.

Developer David Watkins says he hopes to have around a dozen restaurants on Farish Street open for business this April.

“The spring is a better time for the restaurant industry,“ he said.  This phase of the project will cost $20 million.

Abandoned, dilapidated shops currently line the street, but the buildings will soon be cleared out.  Construction is set to begin within the coming weeks.

A few blocks away, the King Edward Hotel is also being renovated by Watkins Development, LLC.  It’s slated to open this December, with a grand opening in January.  The King Edward and the Standard Life Building are owned by Watkins, H.R.I. Properties, and Deuce McAllister. 

Lee King, who is producing the 31st Annual Farish Street Heritage Festival, is also hoping Farish Street will get a boost from the development because of the area’s rich history.

“It’s real important that we keep this Farish heritage district of entertainment going,“ said King.  “Farish Street was a booming [place], where it had more African American entrepreneurs than anywhere in the state.“ 

The festival will be held on Saturday, September 19th.  The event started at 4:00 pm, and tickets cost $15 at the gate.  Organizers expect 7,000 people to attend.