What should Downtown Jackson look like?

In December 2024 after 87 years of continuous publication, the Jackson Advocate Corporation (JA) was able to purchase its first building. It is located at 414 South State Street on the southern edge of downtown Jackson. The JA decided to purchase in downtown Jackson because it wants to be a part of helping to transform downtown Jackson into a central business district suitable for this 21st Century.

In January 2025, the JA began investing in upgrading this 18,000 square feet, three-story building, adding more than $15,000 worth of energy efficient lighting, installing a sophisticated security system, and cleaning up its 24-car parking lot. Additional improvements will be made in the near future.

In February 2025, the JA asked the city’s Planning Board for permission to install a digital billboard for the purpose of providing affordable advertising for local small businesses, public service announcements for civic organizations, seasonal holiday greetings for downtown visitors, and urgent weather warnings and other announcements relevant to the health and/or safety of Jacksonians.

In March 2025, the city’s Planning Board voted 5-2 with one abstaining not to recommend to the City Council the JA’s application to install a digital billboard. The reason given is that the Old Capitol Green (OCG) zoning district, in which the JA building sits, does not permit billboards. 

The OCG zone reportedly was designed more than a decade ago to encourage entrepreneurs to establish a variety of businesses and offer residential units in this section of downtown. Obvious to all recent visitors to downtown Jackson, the OCG zone plan still is too far from being realized. 

The JA’s vision for this section of downtown includes a digital billboard on its building. During the March 2025 Planning Board hearing, the JA was informed that to realize its vision the City Council must act to modify the OCG zone to permit billboards or grant the JA some sort of exception to the current OCG zone.

On April 21, 2025, at 2:30 PM, the JA will ask the City Council to review its application to install a digital billboard, and do that which is necessary to allow the JA to install on its building a digital billboard.

The JA is asking its readers to: 1) send us an email expressing your opinion on JA’s request to install a digital billboard; and 2) attend in person this City Council hearing to let your City Council know whether you want digital billboards in the OCG zoning district.

Above are photos showing how the JA building currently appears (left) and an artist’s rendition of how the JA wants it to appear (right).

Please email the JA at janews@thejacksonadvocate.com before April 20, 2025, and attend the meeting at City Hall on April 21, 2025, at 2:30 PM.