Midtown Makeover

Sandwiched between Millsaps College and Mill Street, North Midtown has tremendous resources, but the neighborhood has struggled with blight, losing nearly 26 percent of its population since 2000. To envision a different future for the neighborhood, the North Midtown Community Development Corp. enlisted Jackson’s Duvall Decker Architects to design a master plan.

The plan first calls for protecting current homeowners by creating a need-based home-improvement fund that would provide small grants for repairs. It then calls for increasing population density, by attracting new residents to a health-conscious, diverse neighborhood with improved recreation and educational opportunities.

The Goals

Build diversity – Mixed-use residential and commercial developments build socioeconomic diversity by attracting artists, students and professionals.

More after-school programs – Good Samaritan Midtown, currently located on Millsaps Avenue, hopes to expand its after-school education programs, including Montessori child care, to a new, larger facility on Josanna Street.

School recreation expansion – A growing Midtown population will require school expansions. Additional recreational facilities will serve the public as well as students.

New, quality affordable housing – The Jackson Housing Authority has already partnered with Duvall Decker to build 63 new units with energy-efficient appliances and solar-paneled roofs.

Low-cost, ecologically responsible landscaping – A natural slope and poor infrastructure make North Midtown’s southwest corner prone to flooding. Park space with man-made wetlands on the edge of Mill Street will control flooding, filter runoff water and create a buffer with the train tracks.

Health as infrastructure – The plan calls for “health circuits,” a network of walking, jogging and bike paths along city streets, with periodic spaces for exercise and recreation equipment.

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The Mississippi Free Press produced this story through the MFP Solutions Lab, supported by the Solutions Journalism Network. This series digs into Mississippi’s systemic issues and sheds light on responses to them in other communities. Beyond just reporting on problems, these stories interrogate their causes and inspect potential solutions.