‘Anything and everything is a possibility’ for Lake Hico property

‘Anything and everything is a possibility’ for Lake Hico property

16 WAPT'S ERIN PICKENSGOT ANSWERS ON WHAT'SHAPPENING THERE AND WHATTHE FUTURE MAY HOLD.

"ANYTHING AND EVERYTHINGIS A POSSIBILITY AT THISPARTICULAR POINT IN TIME."JOE ALBRIT GHIS TALKINGABOUT THE FUTURE OF LAKEHICO.THE BODY OF WATER, PS LUTHE LAND SURROUNDING IT,S IMORE THAN 600-ACS.

REIT'S WHAT'S CALLED "16THSECTION LAND", AGEOGRAPHICAL DESIGNATIONIN MISSISSIPPI SET ASIDEFOR PUBLIC EDUCATION.ALBRIGHT IS THE CHIEFOPERATIONS OFFICER FORJACKSON PUBLIC SCHOO.

LSFOR MANY YEARS, THIS LANDHAS BEEN LEASED TO ENTERAND LAKE HICO HAS SERVED AS ACOOLING POND FOR THEIRNEARBY POWER PLA.NOW, THAT PLANT IS SHUTDOWN AND ENTER IGYS MOVINGON, WHAT'S NEXT?"WHAT'S THE REMEDIATIONGOG INTO LOOK LIKE?

IS THERELONG-TERM TESTING THATWILL HAVE TO BE CONTINUE D?SEDIMENT AND SOIL TESTG?

INALL OF THOSE THINGS."WHEN ENTERGY NOTIFI EDJPS THEY WOULDN'T BERENEWING THEIR LEASE, THEORIGINAL CONTRACT CALLEDFOR IT TO BE PUT BACK TO ITSORIGINAL CONDITION.ONE PART OF THAT ISDRAINGNI THE BIG LAKE,SOMETHING THAT'S BN EEHAPPENING FOR SEVERALWEEKS NOPEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THIPART OF NORTHWEST JACKSONHAVE PROBABLY SEEN THEEQUIPMENT THAT'S SETUP.ANOTHER PART OF THEPROCESS INVOLVESTHE MISSISSIPPIDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY.THE LAKE IS CONSIDERED AWASTEWATER TREATMENT UT NIAS COOLING WATER WASDISCHARGED INTO IT DURINGOPERATIONS.REGULATIONS REQUE IRCLOSURE OF SUCH UNITS TOENSURE ENVIRONMENTALPROTECTION.ENTERGY IS IN THEPLANNING STAGES OF HOW TOCLOSE OUT THE UNIT, AND WEARE AWAITING A PLAN ON HOWTHE CLOSURE WILL BECONDUCTED.PART OF THAT WILL INCLUDESEDIMENT TESTING TODETERMINE CLOSURECONDITIONS AND SOME SOIL,SEDIMENT AND FISH SAMPLINGHAS OCCURR.

ED"THAT'S WHERE WE ARE RIGHTNOW.

WE'RE CONTINUING TOWORK WITH ENTERGY TO GET T HELAKE DRAINED.

ENTERGY ISCONTINUING TO WORK WITHMDEQ TO FINISH UP THISCLOSURE PLAN, SO THAT ONCETHE LAKE IS DRAID,NE THENWE'LL KNOW WHAT THE NEXTSTEPS ARE."ONCE ALL OF THIS IS DON E,THE BIG QUESTION THAT MANYARE ASKING: WHAT WILLHAPPEN TO ALL OF THAT LA?

ND"THIS REALLY IS TO RESTOTHE LAND SO THAT WE CAN USE ITFOR OTHER PURPOSES.

THERECOULD BE A RECREATIOL NALAKE HERE.

THERE COULD BEHOUSING DEVELOPMENTS.THERE COULD BE AN ATHLETICCOMPLEX.

THERE COULD BE ALLOF THOSE THINGS."IF THE LAND IS VIABLE,DEVELOPMENTS LIKE THATWOULD BE A HUGE BOOST TO THECAPITAL CITY.DOROTHY THOMPSON ISPRESIDENT OF THEMISSISSIPPI SOASCIATIONOF REALTORS.SHE SEES TWO POSITIV.

ES"O TNEHING THAT'S GREATABOUT THIS PROJECT IS, IFEEL THAT IT WOULD REPLA CETHE INCOME THAT JASON CKPUBLIC SCHOOLS IS GETTINGFROM ENTERGY.

TWO, IT WOU LDINCREASE THE TAX BASES FORTHE CITY OF JACKSON."HO TMPSON SAYS THE EASYACCESS TO INTERSTATES-220AND 55 IS ALSO APPEALING, ASWELL AS ITS SIZE.WITH THAT MUCH ACREAGE,THERE'S ENOUGH SPACE FOR AMULTI-USE DEVELOPMENTTHAT COULD MEET ALL OF APERSON'S NEE.

DS"WHEN YOU HAVE A PLACE WHEREYOU LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY,YOU DON'T HAVE TWORRY OABOUT RUNNING ERRANDS ALLACROSS THE CITY.EVERYTHING IRIS GHT THERE.SO, IT'S A WALKABLECOMMUNITY, IF YOU WANT T"SHE MENTIONED THEDISTRICT AT EASTOVER, ASWELLAS ANOTHER BOOMG INPART OF JACKSON, AS SMALLERVERSIONS OF WHAT THE LAKEHICO AREA COULD BE ONCE IT'SABLE TO BE DEVELOPED."EVEN THOUGH THAT IS ASMALLER, GREATDEVELOPMENT WITH 21 ACRE S,JUST THINK WHAT YOU COULD DOWITH 500 ACRES.

ALSO, T HESAME CONCEPT IS HAPPENINGIN THE FONDREN ARE" A.ALL PARTIES INVOLVEDKNOW NONE OF THIS WILLHAPPEN OVERNIGHT.JPS LEADERS WANT TO KE MASURE PEOPLE ARE INFORMEDAND PLANNING IS UNDERWAY TOMAKE THE BEST USE OF THELAND."THIS REALLY IS ABOUTDRAINING THEAK LE, MAKESURE IT'S SAFE, THEN MAKETHIS AN ECONOMICDEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITYFOR THE CITY OF JASOCKN ANDTHE REGI