Main Street Clinton’s economic impact a notable one

Main Street organizations are dedicated to Mississippi’s downtowns, and recently-released figures for their economic impact over a five-year timespan confirms the commitment to preserve, revitalize and rehab town centers across the state.

Main Street Clinton is right there in the mission. 

Since 2015, Main Street communities have seen an estimated 1,185 net new businesses, 346 business expansions and 7,456 net new jobs in Mississippi, an assessment of the Mississippi Main Street Association and its member communities showed. The Mississippi State University Extension Center for Government and Community Development studied the groups’ economic impacts from 2015 to 2019. That period saw a labor income value of more than $294 million, with a gain of 462 facade rehabilitations and construction of 1,315 downtown residential units. 

Main Street Clinton’s contribution to that count was an active one over the five-year span, including fifteen new businesses (six net), one business expansion and one rehabilitation project completed, and thirty-five new jobs (thirty net). 

“It’s definitely positive,” Main Street Clinton Director Tara Lytal says, although long-running challenges in Olde Towne kept a lid on some growth. “Ongoing out-of-town property owner issues prevented us from getting a lot of traction downtown.” But that may be about to change as a committee begins to review proposals for properties at 110 and 112 Leake Street.

Clinton also saw the addition of sixteen downtown residential units. 

“It’s great to see the residential units downtown — that’s one standout,” Lytal says. “Getting that density downtown is going to support our efforts.”

Statewide, Main Street communities received more than $253.9 million of private investment and more than $639 million in public dollars invested, 2015-2019. In Clinton, the breakdown was $378,144 public dollars invested, and $16,634 private dollars invested. 

“We certainly need to encourage more private investment downtown,” Lytal says, noting that rehabbed and improved properties are good for the town and for business growth. The Hillman Commons development, a residential and retail project now under construction across from Lions Club Park, should bring in more opportunities along that line. 

“That’ll be exciting. It’ll bring in so many people who are then able to support businesses. We’ll just see what the next few years hold. I think we’ll be in a good position to experience more growth,” said Lytal.

In the events tally, Main Street Clinton always hits a high mark, as one of the more active Main Street communities in the state, along with Tupelo, Laurel and the Gulf Coast communities. Statewide over that five-year timespan, Main Street communities in Mississippi held 736 events. For Main Street Clinton alone, which holds fifty-three events a year, the count reached two hundred sixty-five from 2015-2019. 

“We estimate that our events bring in 35,650 people annually, so a five-year total would be 178,250,” Lytal says.

The organization also enjoyed the contribution of 7,299 volunteer hours. 

“Sometimes, that’s a board member planning meeting, and sometimes that’s feet on the street, with people helping us the day of an event,” Lytal says. “That’s a good number. I’m super happy with that, and hope we can continue to engage people.

“As with everything our program does, we don’t look at the numbers and think that represents only the staff’s work. There are a lot of board members and volunteers, and they’re there helping me make it happen,” said Lytal. 

“We wouldn’t have the downtown we have, if not for the people who care about our community.”