What has - and hasn't - happened in East Jackson could have big influence on how city and county leaders settle their role in midtown and downtown development and redevelopment projects over the next several weeks.

The older, predominantly black section of the city has been troubled by crime and urban blight in recent decades. As detailed in a Jackson Sun investigative series last year, redevelopment work in the area has come slowly since the 2003 tornado that gutted parts of the community despite a steady stream of urge and talk.

That could influence Madison County leaders this week when they consider signing on to a special tax district that will fund redevelopment work in an area that includes downtown and neighborhoods surrounding Lambuth University but omits East Jackson.

County Commissioner Gary Deaton said in a phone interview last week that East Jackson shows the city does not have a great track record when it comes to managing redevelopment.

But that is an unfair and inaccurate assessment of the city's current work, said Vicki Lake, chairwoman of the Jackson Community Redevelopment Agency board.

She emphasized that redevelopment projects will be managed by two excellent candidates for the work: developers Hal Crocker of Jackson and Henry Turley, who has been involved in similar work in Memphis.

"These are two people who have a history of doing this," she said. "We're not doing it; we're contracting with someone who will be doing it."

Next month, the City Council will look at finalizing Jackson's support of the tax district at the same meeting it will be asked to put $85,000 into studying East Jackson for similar redevelopment work.

Lake said more study of East Jackson's needs must be done to fulfill the redevelopment agency's legal requirements.

"No matter what else has been done, we still have to go back and do one," she said.

Community activists from the Jackson chapter of SOCM - formerly Save Our Cumberland Mountains, newly rechristened Statewide Organizing for Community eMpowerment - hailed the redevelopment board's pledge to look into redeveloping East Jackson as a massive victory for the area last month.

 

From The Jackson Sun