01-03-2025
Downtown Tupelo alleys get facelift
TUPELO — Alleyways in cities have reputations, either good or bad, and city officials hope their beautification efforts will brighten downtown Tupelo for the better.
With a goal of transforming what they believe is an underutilized space in downtown Tupelo, city officials are working alongside the Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association to chip away at renovations to the alleyways, with work continuing on a portion from Front Street to Green Street.
'This is part of the downtown alley project that was started a couple of years ago,' Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association Executive Lucia Randle said. 'We want (the alleys) to be a safe pass through for people that are walking downtown.'
Most alleys in downtown function as service passageways, meaning they are dual purpose for pedestrians and businesses like restaurants, which need access to dumpsters and drainage and disposal. The current work is in one such service alley.
'We are really excited about it. It is going to be attractive. We want to do it for our residents that use it but also our downtown businesses that use them,' Randle said. 'I'm pleased with the direction of downtown and the reception it is getting. There is a lot more to do.'
Improvements include fixing damage and adding lighting fixtures.
An issue Randle said contractors have run into is old infrastructure needing to be removed, replaced or realigned during the project, noting it was important to make sure they preserve drainage routes and utilities in the alley.
'It is looking really good. It has been a very intense project because when you get into those alleys that are decades old with all of those old utilities, you don't really know … until you start digging,' she said. 'We knew it was going to be lengthy. However, we knew it needed to be done.'
This work is being done in conjunction with the new Farmers' Depot in downtown. The city hopes to complete both projects around the same time, specifically in time for the May farmers market opening.
The city hired Booneville-based Master Craft Builders, who were tapped for a $1.9 million to build the structure on Front Street across from the Spring and Court Street block, and demolished the old depot last year.
Once finished, the city envisions the depot, which was designed to mimic the historic train depot downtown, to be multi-purpose, from the market, festivals, and music performances.
