Hillman Commons to be completed by end of 2021
Photo by Doris Bynum
Driving past the corner of Leake and East streets, the former location of Hillman-Berry Lions Club Park doesn’t look like much right now. However, developer Clarence Chapman said he has already poured lots of money into the Hillman Commons project; you just can’t yet see the results.
“We had to spend a fortune in site work, underground work and all, then rain slowed us down dramatically. We’re digging out about ten feet of clay and filling it with good soil.”
The clay to which Chapman refers is Yazoo Clay, the bane of builders and home and property owners in Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana.
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A vein of Yazoo Clay ribbons through Hinds County, including through the 4.5 acres where Hillman Commons is being constructed, where it runs in a ten-foot depth on the site, Chapman explained. For those who aren’t familiar with Yazoo Clay, it is a clay formation known as montmorillonite and is a poor foundation material, because moisture causes extreme changes in volume.
The idea of building the complex in downtown Clinton was first suggested to Chapman by the late Leland Speed. The company worked with Jackson architect David Trigiani for a design to blend in with Olde Towne and the area next to the train tracks and the new Depot.
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A survey determined that loft-style apartment units would be an attractive addition to housing options in Clinton, with the idea to create an urban lifestyle with walkability in the downtown area.
Chartre Corp. of Oxford, Mississippi, which is owned by Chapman, purchased the land in 2017. After working on plan and development details, approval was granted for Chartre to construct 94 loft-style units of one- and two-bedroom apartments on the site, as well as about 4,000-5,000 square feet of retail space to locate in the center of the complex on the ground floor.
With the soil foundation work completed and provided the weather cooperates “and it stops snowing and raining,” Chapman plans to have Hillman Commons completed by the end of the year.
“I’m excited about a good footprint and being a good citizen in Clinton. It has taken a long time to get to this stage. We are excited about having a conclusion in sight,” Chapman said.
