Hattiesburg City Council members have approved a zoning change that will allow two Hattiesburg property owners to transform the former Calico Mall building at 309 East Pine Street into a mixed-use space for food, amusement and other amenities.
The zoning change from B-5 (Regional Business) to B-4 (Downtown) will allow Kenneth Moye and Korey Williams to bring their proposals of a food court, bar, outdoor/indoor amusements and office space to the spot. Outdoor improvements to the site – which was vacated at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic – include rooftop amenities and an outdoor pool, which would be public access for customers only.
“The request of this rezoning is to adapt to the character and the revitalization plan of the neighborhood,” Moye and Williams wrote in their request for rezoning. “Recently, properties within the downtown area have received rezoning approvals from B-5 to B-4, which is consistent with the neighboring property, allowing property owners to rebuild and contribute to the work, play and live environment within the downtown area.
“Most uses have changed from the industrial past to the sustainable modern neighborhood it is today. With the lot currently being used as an antiques store, the owners are seeking to revive the Calico Station to fit within the new commercial composition of the neighborhood.”
According to documents from the Hattiesburg Planning Commission, the B-4 designation is intended to promote the concentration and vitality of commercial and business uses in the historic central business area of the city, and as such, encourages a mixture of complementary uses oriented to pedestrians. The district is characterized by wall-to-wall and lot-line-to-lot line development, pedestrian walkways, a vertical mix of uses, upper-floor residential uses and off-street public parking lots.
The B-5 district is designed to provide for retail, personal and business services, offices and financial services in locations with convenient access to the region’s population, consistent with comprehensive planning policies.
The property is in the Hub City Downtown District, and all exterior changes will require Historic Hattiesburg Conservation Commission and/or Mississippi Department of Archives and History review.
“I think it’s a good idea,” said Deborah Delgado, who serves Ward 2 on Hattiesburg City Council. “That area is part of Twin Forks Rising’s Cultural Arts and Innovation District, so I’m happy to see that they’re going to have that project and move it forward.
“I’m glad that they’re doing something with an old building, that can really bring some life to the area and expand the footprint of downtown.”
