Page 100 - South Mississippi Living - August, 2018

DOWNTOWNS urban citizenry
Do Downtowns Matter?
story by Lynn Lofton photos by Katherine Sowers and
courtesy of City of Moss Point, City of Gulfport and City of Pascagoula.
or years downtowns languished as suburbs and other areas flourished, but for the past several years downtowns have been making a comeback. However, there is still work to be done, which
begs the question: Why do downtowns matter and why should we support them? Several Coast residents who are actively working to promote downtowns have provided some answers.
Laurie Toups is the Main Street director for Gulfport, the Coast’s largest city, and says main
street is the historic core of the community. “Whether your town has a place called Main Street, First Avenue or Water Street, what each place represents is universal, it’s the heart of the historic commercial business district where old and new exist,” she said. “When we say ‘main’ street, we are talking about more than just one street. It’s the downtown community where you find mom and pops stores, independent business owners, restaurants, shopping, the theatre, financial and legal institutions. Downtown provides an important civic forum for residents to congregate at parades, special events and other celebrations.”
Shelda Jones, Long Beach Community Development Association president, said, “Downtowns are the heart of a city. In Long Beach that is where the town green is located, the Harper McCaughan Town Green
which has a stage and seating for concerts, green space for festivals, and available parking, in addition to shopping and restaurants. All of this boosts the city’s economy.”
Moss Point Mayor Mario King
is working with other leaders to rejuvenate his city’s downtown. “We’re seeing progress with infrastructure and businesses,
but we’ve also created spaces for people of different backgrounds to come together,” he said. “We’re having an event every month to bring people downtown so they can see what we’re doing.”
Gulfport attorney John
Harral has long been active
with organizations working to strengthen the city’s downtown. “From time immemorial, the center of a town has been the focus of the town’s life, really
the heart of the town. That center has always been where the life and the activities of the city have been concentrated — the business and commercial life, government offices, public meeting places, cultural venues and public art,”
he said. “Today we call this concentration of a city’s lifeblood downtown.”
He points out that while
decades of neglect have bled American downtowns of their historic vitality, such as retail
and housing, it’s clear that
a downtown renaissance is occurring in America. “It’s exciting to see and experience
that renaissance here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast in all of our cities,” he said. “Downtowns matter — they express and project to the world the vigor, vibrancy and vitality of the city, indeed, the vigor, vibrancy, vitality and vision of its citizens. Regardless of where one lives, his or her city’s downtown is critically important to that person. Quite simply,
the downtown belongs to every citizen.”
Toups says Gulfport is taking steps to increase awareness of its downtown with incentives for retail, upper floor housing, promotions and events, and walkability.
100 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • August 2018
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