Groundbreaking held for Rising Spring development
Special to The Clinton Courier
Representatives from Mississippi College, the Mississippi Legislature and the City of Clinton toss shovelfuls of dirt into the air to celebrate the official groundbreaking of the Rising Spring development.
A proposed upscale mixed-use development located directly across from Mississippi College took a significant leap forward July 30 during a formal naming ceremony in Anderson Hall at MC and an official groundbreaking on the site along U.S. Highway 80 in Clinton.
MC President Blake Thompson said site preparation on the fifty-four acres of land directly across Highway 80 from the university is nearing completion, and construction should begin within the next twelve months. The ceremony included descriptions of the newly christened “Rising Spring” project as one of the most transformative real estate ventures in the history of Mississippi College and the town of Clinton and the first easily-accessible service location for hospitality on the eastbound Interstate 20 corridor. Thompson said the cultural destination will rival anything currently available across Mississippi.
“As excited as I’ve gotten over football games over the years, as excited as I’ve been playing in the state basketball tournament, I don’t think any other thing excites me as much as this project,” Thompson said.
He said the development’s name, “Rising Spring,” is both a reference to Mississippi College’s theme directed at new students – “This Is Where You Rise” – as well as to the historic spring that rests on the property and served as an important water source for generations of Clintonians.
Mississippi College, in partnership with the City of Clinton and local developers, is leading the $200 million development, which has the potential to create up to five hundred jobs by creating a retail and living space that will attract retailers, restauranteurs, grocers, bankers and hoteliers.
Phase One of the project will extend McLemore Drive across Highway 80 from MC to “Rising Spring Village,” the development’s main entrance. The road will lead to the centerpiece of the development: a historic spring and canopy of trees preserved as an inviting “green space” for pedestrians.
Flanking the spring would be a proposed boutique hotel with a façade that mirrors the front of Mississippi College, creating a “bookend” effect with the university’s newly-fashioned main entrance directly across the street.
Rising Spring Village is anticipated to also include numerous dining options from prominent Mississippi restaurateurs, mixed-use spaces, a primary care clinic, a primary care facility, student and residential housing, and walking trails.
The project’s second phase – called “Rising Spring Marketplace“ – will take shape on the western end of the property, where MC’s practice football field now resides. Developers envision multicolored buildings – similar to the renowned cabins at the famed Neshoba County Fair – resembling the “Magnolia Marketplace” in Waco, Texas, founded by house renovation celebrities Chip and Joanna Gaines. It is expected to include additional entertainment and dining options, as well.
“It will feature all things Mississippi,” said Philip Gunn, a leader of Connect West, Clinton’s economic development organization. “We would promote artists in Mississippi. They could have a place to sell their work. It will be something that promotes our state and the tremendous talent that we have in this state.”
Merchants and other occupants of the development will lease space from Rising Spring partners, who will maintain ownership of their respective properties. Thompson said Mississippi College will be a noticeable presence in Phase Two of the development.
“We’re not precluding the idea of some new, creative Mississippi College facilities on this site,” Thompson said. “Someday, you will see advanced facilities that have the MC logo sitting beside some of the best companies in the world on the site.”
