ON THE HORIZON W H AT ’ S C O M I N G U P I N R I D G E L A N D
C I T Y L E A D E R S A R E M O V I N G F O R WA R D W I T H P L A N S F O R T H E C I T Y C E N T E R P R O J E C T, A D E V E L O P M E N T D E S I G N E D T O B E T H E H E A R T O F R I D G E L A N D .
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onceived as part of the Ridgeland Area Master Plan, the Center will feature a Civic Center, a museum, mixed-use private commercial area and other facilities. It is expected to enhance the image of the city while providing a central location for city services. The 25-acre site is located on Highway 51 between School Street and the Natchez Trace. “The City Center is the number one project,” commented Mayor Gene McGee. “It will include a new City Hall as well as a fine arts center.” According to Alan Hart, community development director, School Street will be reconfigured to create focal points and provide a campus-like feel to the city service buildings, grounds and adjacent facilities. Rice Road will be extended across Highway 51 with a signal-equipped intersection to create additional access. The $13 million project is expected to take 18 months with construction beginning in 2015. The widening of Lake Harbour Road from Northpark Drive to Highway 51, Ridgeland’s most important road project in years, has been completed. The road was widened to five lanes to ease traffic congestion, and the project included the addition of new traffic signals, a walking trail and an upgraded drainage system. “The Lake Harbour widening not only was vital to move traffic in a more efficient way, but also has opened the door for more devolvement of vacant land on the east side of the highway,” explained Mayor McGee. “The next major road project is to extend Lake Harbour over the interstate to Highland Colony Parkway,” he added. When that phase of Lake Harbour is completed it will add an east-west corridor from Highland
Colony Parkway and extend to the eastern city limits of Ridgeland. The extension is also expected to help aid in future development of the Jackson Street District. McGee says another priority is revitalization of the Southeast Ridgeland area. According to the Master Plan, redevelopment of the area will focus on replacing aging apartments with innovative cottage clusters and incorporating greenways and pedestrian/bikeways to connect to shopping and other trails. City leaders are also proud that Ridgeland is one of the first cities in Mississippi to qualify for C Spire’s 1GBPS Fiber-to-the-Home Internet service and related digital TV and home phone services. Three areas of Ridgeland, including Highland Colony North, Bridgewater and Old Agency East, along with the cities of Horn Lake, Starkville and Quitman, were the first in the state to qualify for Internet access up to 100 times faster than national average broadband speeds. “Fiber-to-the-Home is a next-generation technology that will help Ridgeland and other Mississippi cities become hubs for future investment and growth,” said Suzy Hays, senior vice president of consumer markets for C Spire. “Mayor McGee and other city leaders understand the public policy benefits of 1 Gigabit infrastructure and Ridgeland residents are responding enthusiastically to this historic opportunity,” she added. “We’re looking forward to bringing tomorrow’s technology to Ridgeland and other Mississippi communities because we know this service has the power to transform communities and improve the quality of life for everyone,” she noted. W W W. R I D G E L A N D C H A M B E R . C O M
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