Latest news with #MasterCraftBuilders
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tupelo celebrates The Depot opening
djr-2025-05-03-news-depot-arp2 Area residents arrive for the grand opening celebration at The Depot, a new venue in Downtown Tupelo, on May 2, 2025. TUPELO — Friday night saw the culmination of months of effort by city officials and contractors with the opening of The Depot in Downtown Tupelo. The city held a ribbon-cutting in conjunction with the first day of the Blue Suede Cruise, making an event of the evening that included music, food and speeches. Mayor Todd Jordan opened the ceremony with a history of the project from its conceptualization to construction. 'It's a great addition to downtown,' he said, noting that the project will go a long way in alleviating stress on downtown when events take place that typically shut the streets down. 'I'm proud of it. I hope you're proud of it.' The building will be multi-purpose, with the city envisioning The Depot as an event space for all manner of festivities. It is equipped with a stage, electricity and restrooms. djr-2025-05-03-news-depot-arp1 Tupelo Mayor Todd Jordan cuts the ribbon for The Depot during a grand opening ceremony on May 2, 2025, in Tupelo, Miss. Not only is Blue Suede Cruise happening alongside the $2.2 million venue's opening, but The Depot opened just in time for the farmers market season to begin on May 17. The market, which will move to The Depot, is held each Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon from May to October. Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association Director Lucia Randle said she was glad the project is finally complete, noting The Depot is a facility she hopes everyone in the city, both residents and visitors alike, can enjoy. 'It's complete elation, such satisfaction in a job well done by so many people,' she said. '(I can) hardly believe I'm standing in this gorgeous facility. It has been so fun to watch it through the months as it came up from the ground.' She said The Depot is based upon the downtown area's original train depot, with an architectural design that evokes its origin, including a replica of the dome structure of the original train depot's building. Construction contractors Master Craft Builders handled the project's dirt work and Tek 1 Studio oversaw the architectural design. Greg Pirkle of Phelps Dunbar, which has an office next door to the new facility, said he was proud to see the project complete, adding that he is also proud the city revitalized the area that once was a deteriorating parking lot downtown. djr-2025-05-03-news-depot-arp4 Members of the Tupelo Ballet perform a patriotic dance during the grand opening and ribbon cutting for The Depot in Downtown Tupelo. 'We are very excited to see The Depot open,' Pirkle said. 'It is good for us, and it is good for the area.'
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
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.
