The Renaissance 10

Ridgeland - the Center of our Parkway (This was printed & re-printed in 5 different newspapers.)

By Kevin Crothers
Ridgeland

We strongly encourage everyone to recommend approval of the petition to build a 17-story office building in the Renaissance area.

This will have a GREAT economic impact on our area! We used to work at WorldCom in Jackson and in Clinton. There were hundreds of us fleeing the building every day for lunch and shopping. We frequented every locally-owned business and restaurant in that area. Everything from fast food to nice restaurants to boutiques to coffee shops to gas stations to skating rinks. These are the kind of customers local area businesses want and need, to thrive.

Couldn't the people who moved into the neighborhoods off of Highland Colony see that Mississippi's Interstate 55 and a new commercial parkway were in their backyard? The first time both of us drove down Highland Colony was maybe 12 years ago, and it was obvious to us that it would be a bustling area one day - with office buildings, everywhere. Highland Colony Parkway was created specifically for professional commercial development.

These people opposing the building are no different from the ones who buy/build houses in new neighborhoods, when most all the lots are still covered with trees. But then they complain over and over, when new houses are being built, and then they complain even louder about the neighborhood not being what they wanted it to be and them not having any privacy... when all the building is finished and the neighborhood's lots are populated with beautiful houses, with very nice families inside them. The opposition this business development up and down Highland Colony Parkway is experiencing is no different. Just like these type people sell their houses - complaining, but making high profits, so they can move to another new/empty neighborhood... and go through the same process, all over again... These people not wanting to see buildings in their backyards, will soon be able to - quickly - sell their homes - at very good prices - to the people who work inside the buildings in their backyards. And they can move to a neighborhood that is not next to an Interstate or a Commercial Parkway.

Stopping this, because of these few opposing people, is not fair to the rest of Ridgeland. Please approve this petition and allow H. C. Bailey to proceed, as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Kim and Kevin Crothers