Madison town square in development after years of delay. See details here
A new Madison Town Square is in the works once again after years of delay.
Tuesday evening, design company Small Town Center hosted an interactive event at the Madison Square Center for the Arts in which Madison residents got the chance to give their input on what they want the new town square to look like.
Upon entering the event, residents received a sheet of sticky dots. Large sheets of paper were set up on several tables depicting different examples of architecture, outdoor amenities and more. Residents could browse the examples and place their sticky dots on photos of options they liked.
Sticky notes and pens sat beside the photos so residents could write out thoughts and suggestions as well.
Leah Kemp, director of Small Town Center, said the event was a first stab at getting the public's input on plans for a new Madison town square. The photos and dots provided an outlet for face-to-face individualized feedback.
The photos with the most dots at the end of the event serve as a visual consensus as the design team begins to plan.
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One table had a fill-in sheet with different broad questions such as, "What is one word you would use to describe your ideal town center?"
Resident responses to this question included "friendly," "walkable" and "welcoming."
Small Town Center has served Mississippi with community design and planning for about 45 years and runs under the Mississippi State University College of Architecture, Art and Design.
Mississippi State University graduate students pursuing master's degrees in historic preservation joined Madison aldermen and stood behind each table to discuss ideas with residents. Graduate student Charlyn King said the event's main objective was to "get input from the community about what they want for the town square."
Within 30 minutes of the event's start, a small, but steady stream of residents had made the rounds looking at each table, sticking dots to pictures and writing opinions on notes in Sharpie. Kemp said more than 50 people attended the come-and-go event.
The future home of the square, currently around 20 acres of empty land, sits along U.S. 51, in the site of the former, now demolished, Madison-Ridgeland High School. The performing arts center of the old Madison-Ridgeland High School, the location of Tuesday's event, still stands.
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The efforts to build a town square in downtown Madison are not new. In early 2020, Mayor Mary Hawkins-Butler confirmed rumors that a multi-million dollar project, then called "Madison at Main," was underway.
The city bought the land 15 years ago in the hopes of creating a downtown to match Madison's growing population and culture.
Atlanta-based development company Greenstone Properties was going to head the project. The plans included a grocery store, restaurants, town homes, a hotel and the relocation of Madison City Hall, among other features.
Since the 2020 announcement, for unspecified reasons, the project fell through. Small Town Center signed a contract with the city in early 2024.
Now, Hawkins-Butler's dream of a town square seems to be moving forward once again.
Hawkins-Butler said the delay was largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She added that she believes everything happens for a reason and the new town square will be even better than its initial plans.
Hawkins-Butler said current plans include retail, restaurants, office spaces, walking paths, and a children's cultural center. The square will tie in conceptually to the nearby Old Madison Door District and the Main Street District.
"It will be something special, unique and different for the state of Mississippi," Hawkins-Butler said. "I call this the heartbeat of Madison."
The relocation of Madison's City Hall is already underway. Part of the old schoolhouse next to the Madison-Ridgeland High School performing arts center is under reconstruction. In about three months, it will reopen as City Hall.
The next steps for Small Town Center include preliminary designs and meeting with local elected officials.
Got a news tip? Contact Mary Boyte at mboyte@jackson.gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Madison downtown square in development after years of delay
