Category Archives: Housing

by | February 11, 2011 · 4:52 pm

UPJ is the place to stay

Remember those analogies from the ACT and SAT tests? You know: chain is to bike as engine is to car. Well, there’s another analogy that has hit West Jackson. Here it goes: cool apartment is to hip area as One University Place is to West Jackson!

If you’re looking for a cool place to stay that’s convenient to downtown, then One University Place has the apartment for you…and by for you, I mean anyone! Contrary to popular belief you do not have to be a student to stay there. If you ARE a student–especially a JSU student–then it’s uberconvenient (is that a word?) to class.

The newly-constructed One University Place is a 4-story, mixed use development with apartments situated above retail. The development’s first commercial tenant, Express Cleaners, opened a couple of weeks ago and more tenants are on the way.

Lauren Jones (769.233.8180), the property manager of One University Place, sent over this flyer yesterday. Check it out and hopefully you’ll check in as one of West Jackson’s newest residents!

By the way, if you haven’t seen the pictures of One University Place, swing by to see them on their Facebook Page.

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by | February 1, 2011 · 9:47 am

Another Successful WESToration Event

Saturday's event included a trolley tour of West Jackson's neighborhoods.

 

On our Facebook Fan Page, we have a tagline that says:

Good things are happening in West Jackson. Greater things are in store.

It is exciting when others take notice! This past Saturday, the WESToration team hosted its second WESToration event. The response was thrilling! Seventy-six people came out to Koinonia Coffee House early Saturday morning to learn about revitalizing West Jackson with 203K and energy efficiency loans.

Not only did those who attended the event learn more about the loans available through the WESToration Initiative, they were also able to take a trolley tour through the charming and potentially charming neighborhoods of West Jackson.

Thanks to all who attended Saturday’s event. If you were unable to attend, don’t worry…we’re planning another one for March, so stay tuned!

Until then, check out the WJTV news story and photos from the event below:

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by | January 12, 2011 · 9:30 am

The personal side of WESToration

Linda Lidell recently bought this house in
West Jackson through the WESToration Initiative.

On Saturday, November 13, we hosted our first WESToration event. To be completely candid, we didn’t know how well the program would be received. Think about: the program was scheduled for a Saturday morning, included a presentation, AND tons of rain were in the forecast. Yes, people RSVP’d, but if you’ve ever planned an event you know how that goes. Plans change, things
happen, and people can’t always commit to their RSVP.

But you know what? People came…and came…and came! So many people came that Koinonia Coffee House’s parking lot became a sea of cars. Our first WESToration event was a success with a coffee house packed with people and vans packed with folks eager to tour the potential of West Jackson. One of those people was Linda Liddell.

Linda was born in Chicago and after spending time in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, her family moved to Jackson in 1973. When they first moved to Jackson, Linda’s parents rented a home on Miller Avenue in North Jackson and eventually came to rent a home on Arbor Vista Boulevard in West Jackson in 1974. Finally, Linda’s dad became frustrated with renting and said “enough of that” and the family purchased a home a couple of streets over on Voorhees Avenue.

Thirty-five years after the move, and after spending time out of the state, Linda is back in West Jackson. After attending the WESToration event, she was convinced that she could find a home to renovate in the community that raised her. You see, Linda’s mom still lives in the home on Voorhees and Linda wanted to purchase a home close enough to allow her to check on her mom. “I was driving up Pecan Boulevard everyday,” Linda acknowledged. “I
confessed that ‘I am going to have a house on this street’…and it
came to pass.”

Things moved swiftly. Linda attended the WESToration
event on November 13th and the Pecan Boulevard home she now owns
went on the market on November 19th. She viewed the home with
her Realtor, Michael Lewis of Leah Cim Real Estate, on November 23rd, placed an offer on the home the next day, and received a response on her offer on November 27th. She closed on the house at 9 a.m. on December 31st.

Linda’s 1772 square feet brick home was built in 1939 and has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. It includes a living room, dining room, study and has some neat features including an arched front door, built in shelves, a cool old telephone nook, an even cooler slide out laundry hamper in the hallway, and one of those nostalgic mail slots that’s built into the house. It also includes a 2-car detached garage with a 456 square foot apartment above it (this brings the total square footage to 2,228).

Through Cornerstone Home Lending, Linda bundled a 203K loan and energy efficient mortgage to purchase and make improvements to her new home. She plans to refinish the hardwood floors, upgrade the home’s
insulation, update the old appliances, and install a tankless water heater among a laundry list of other improvements. She also plans to do a massive renovation on the detached garage/apartment with the funds.

Linda will be a great neighbor for the Pecan Park neighborhood. Her daughter and two grandchildren will live in the house with her and the garage apartment will be in tip top shape when her other daughter, who lives in Houston, Texas, comes to town to visit. She has done some great things in the community. One of the most moving things is the fact that she used the money that she made working overtime at the post office during the Christmas season to take four Pecan Park elementary students shopping for new outfits. She also has spent many Friday mornings in the past taking sausage and biscuit sandwiches to those in local homeless shelters for breakfast–all out of her own pocket. She even takes time to have lunch with her grandsons at school every week!

So of all the places she could have lived, why West Jackson? Linda responds with “because West Jackson is an area with great potential. I can be to work from where I am in 5 minutes…it’s convenient. I lived in Houston for 12 years and all that freeway…that’s not me.”

We can’t wait to see the finished product of Linda’s home, but until then, she was kind enough to let us take some photos of the current condition of the home. You can find the pictures below.

If you’re interested in learning how you can use the 203K loan to renovate a home in West Jackson for yourself (like Linda did), join us for our 2nd WESToration event. The event will take place on Saturday, January 29 at 9:30 a.m. at Koinonia Coffee House. For more information on this event and/or to RSVP, please call 601.979.2255.

 

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by | December 15, 2010 · 9:34 am

Limited Time Only: Special Rates at One University Place

Model apartment at One University Place

Here’s a gift for you this holiday season. Looking for a new apartment, but want something that’s a little cooler than the run-of-the-mill space you have now? Sounds like you need to swing by One University Place and take a look.

One University Place, Jackson’s newest mixed-use development, is running an excellent special right now. If you sign a 12-month lease by January 31, 2011, your rate will be as follows for 6 of the 12 months:

1bedroom/ 1bath  $500 (orig. $675)
2bedroom with den/ 1bath $750 (orig. $920)
2bedroom/ 2bath $800 (orig. $995)
2bedroom/ 2bath luxury suite $1300 (orig. $1550)

So give property manager, Lauren Jones, a call now at (769) 233-8180 because these are special, special rates!

Also, if you’d like to see more photos of One University Place, take a look at their Facebook photo gallery.

OneUniversityPlaceBrochure[1]

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by | November 16, 2010 · 3:17 pm

WESToration

Attendees make their way into Koinonia Coffee House before the 203K Event.

This past Saturday, Cornerstone Home Lending, JSU Center for University-Based Development, Atmos Energy, Wright Concepts, and Leah Cim Real Estate, welcomed dozens of people interested in revitalizing West Jackson to Koinonia Coffee House.  This program, referred to as The WESToration Initiative, involves informing interested people about the possibilities of using a 203K mortgage to fix up one of the many charming homes here in West Jackson.

While rain was in the forecast, Saturday turned out to be a beautiful day to showcase West Jackson. (As a side note, it was also a beautiful day for the Latasha Norman Memorial 5K. It was great seeing so many runners participate in this event and the Metro Parkway was an excellent location for it. If you’re planning a 5K event, you should strongly consider using the Metro Parkway for your course.)

We were prepared to welcome approximately 50 people to the event, but about 80+ people showed up eager to learn about opportunities in West Jackson.  You can only imagine how excited our team was!  About half the group loaded up into the vans that idled outside to shuttle them through the different neighborhoods of the west side while the other half listened to a presentation by Bo Smith on the benefits of a 203K loan.  After touring the West End, West Park, and Pecan Park neighborhoods, the touring group arrived back at Koinonia to trade places with the presentation group.

The committee would like to especially thank Voice of Calvary Ministries for allowing us to use their audio/visual equipment and LeFleur Transportation for coming through for us after we were notified by the trolley company that the trolley that was originally scheduled for the tour had broken down the day before the event.

If you are interested in learning more about the 203K loan among other renovation loans, contact Bo Smith at 601.982.1153 or bosmith@houseloan.com. Oh, and if you weren’t able to participate in Saturday’s event–don’t worry, we’re planning another one for late January. If that’s too long for you to wait (and we hope it is), call Bo to see what you have to do to get an marvelously renovated home in West Jackson now.

Similar Posts:

Fixin’ to Stay

News Stories:

Mississippi Link

WLBT

Jackson Free Press

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by | November 5, 2010 · 3:21 pm

All Aboard!

Event Flyer

These are tough economic times, and drastic times call for drastic measures. First of all, how about cutting that 20 mile round trip commute that you take to work down to a 4 mile (or closer) round trip commute? Second of all, how would you like to take that monthly rent that you are paying or that incredible mortgage that you have and trade it for a home that can cost you hundreds less per month? Oh, the joys of saving money!

If you’ve been following this blog, we’ve pointed out some of the outstanding schools, people, businesses, and developments that exist right here in West Jackson. We’d like to share all of this West Jackson goodness with you as our new neighbor.

There is definitely a buzz happening about the bright future of the west side of town. We’re not surprised because the sun comes home to us every day (get it, sun sets in the west). Anyway, corny joke aside, the vibrancy and revival of downtown is on a sure trajectory to the west. No, we don’t necessarily expect high rise buildings to pop up everywhere, but we do expect different types of developments that provide the same energy and enthusiasm that the newest downtown developments have brought to the heart of the city.

With that said, you are invited to be a part of this resurgence of West Jackson. On Saturday, November 13, at 9:30 a.m., you can participate in an event in which you can learn about available lending programs that can assist you with purchasing a home AND renovating the home with one mortgage. You’ll also have an opportunity to take a free trolley tour so that you can see the possibilities (and hopefully yourself) in one of our West Jackson neighborhoods.

This program is also available to those who are seeking to make aesthetic and energy efficient improvements to the home in which they currently live. So if you are a homeowner looking for options to renovate your existing home, this program is for you as well.

If you are interested in attending, please RSVP to 601.979.2255. We look forward to seeing you then!

Also make sure to read the Fixin’ to Stay post for more information on the 203K program.

Related link: http://www.jsums.edu/pressroom2/article.cfm?id=1919

_______________

This event is presented by Bo Smith of Cornerstone Home Lending, Inc. Bo Smith is licensed by the Mississippi Department of Banking and Consumer Finance (NMLS 92100). This is not a commitment to lend as borrower must meet qualification criteria.

Supporting sponsors for this event include Atmos Energy, JSU Center for University-Based Development, Leah Cim Real Estate & Property Management, and Wright Concepts.

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by | October 15, 2010 · 2:48 pm

University Place Ribbon Cutting

Today, University Officials, JSU Development Foundation Leaders, Public Officials, and Investors celebrated the opening of One University Place by hosting a ribbon cutting ceremony.  One University Place is a mixed-use development located on the corner of Dalton Street and John R. Lynch Street that features retail space on the ground floor and three floors of residential apartments above.  Residents have begun moving into the apartments while coming soon signs are posted that indicate that Express Cleaners, Harvey’s Fish Hut, and an Art Gallery are on the way.

One University Place is the first step toward a larger West Jackson development known as University Place that features single family homes, townhomes, and more mixed used developments.

This blog has covered One University Place several times because it such an exciting development in West Jackson.  For more information, take a look at our previous post.  Also, click here if you would like a copy of the program agenda.

There are still apartments available for lease. If you are interested in leasing an apartment, contact Lauren Jones of Ledic Management at (601) 923-2882.

There is also commercial space remaining. If you are interested in leasing commercial space for your business, contact Dorothy Thompson of Dorothy Thompson Realty at (601) 366-9400 or Scott Overby of The Overby Company at (601) 366-8511.

News Links

WLBT, “One University Place” officially opens: http://www.wlbt.com/Global/story.asp?S=13330712

Check out the photos below. Also, make sure to visit Jackson State University’s Public Relations Gallery for more pics. Their camera is much nicer than ours ;) .

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by | September 27, 2010 · 11:33 am

One University Place OPEN HOUSE

Have you seen the apartments of One University Place yet? If not, Ledic Management Group will host another open house event tomorrow, September 28, from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. If you missed the first one, make sure you swing by to attend this one.  I’m sure you’ll like what you see!  This new development is located at the intersection of John R. Lynch Street and Dalton Street at 1100 John R. Lynch Street.

By the way, One University Place is offering $200 off of the first month’s rent for new residents (click here for lease rates).  This special is good through October 15, 2010.

For more information, call Ledic Management Group at (769) 233-8180.

Written by Curnis Upkins, III

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by | September 20, 2010 · 3:52 pm

BOOM, there it is!

UPDATED: 9/21/2010

For those of you who may not know, BOOM Jackson’s Autumn 2010 issue hit news stands a couple of weeks ago and a flip version of the magazine was posted on BOOM’s website this past weekend. Nestled in the bottom left corner of the magazine’s cover is a phrase that reads “The Great Society of West Jackson.”  To hear the words “great” and “West Jackson” used together is proof that people are finally starting to get it. People are realizing that great things are in store for this side of town.

What can you find in the latest issue of BOOM?  For starters, you can read about West Jackson resident Zakiya Summers on page 13. (By the way, the little boy pictured above is her son, Marvin.  He celebrated his 3rd birthday this past Sunday!) Turn to page 18 and you can learn about the great development plans for the Metrocenter.  There’s a blurb about the redevelopment of the Coca-Cola plant on page 20.  Turn to page 62 and read Jackson foodies revel about West Jackson Mexican restaurant Taqueria Mexicana. Then, the culmination of this issue is the cover story about a West Jackson resident who took a abandoned home and turned it into a true work of art. This home surely belongs on an HGTV designer showcase! In fact, if you need inspiration to move into one of the lonely houses in this part of town, read the article, then read the Fixin to Stay blog post so that you can learn more about the federal rehabilitation loan.

There are traces of West Jackson on other pages in this great magazine, including:

Page 30: University Place ad

Page 53: Rib Shack BBQ & Seafood Menu

Page 57: Stamps Superburgers ad (by the way, they serve EXCELLENT turkey burgers)

Page 70: West Jackson non-profit, Dress for Success Jackson

Page 86: Boo at the Zoo event

Page 86: Total Praise Gospel Tour (to be held on JSU campus)

Page 90: Blurb about Koinonia Coffee House

So, there you have it. I’ve already found the West Jackson references in the latest BOOM Jackson magazine, now it’s your turn to read the articles. Have fun and be inspired!

P.S. If you want to see some more great photos of the transformation of deborah’s home, visit BOOM Jackson’s outtakes from their photography session.

Written by Curnis Upkins, III

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by | August 30, 2010 · 10:07 am

The Newness of West Jackson

Welcome sign at new Highway 80 McDonald's

Oh how we love seeing new things come to West Jackson! New things bring new people and provide new goods and services for those of us living here.  Newness doesn’t always signify something that is absolutely, positively new.  Sometimes, newness is the rediscovery of a place or the renewal of feelings that may have existed for years.  Such is the story of West Jackson.  Those of us who are here can see the potential of this side of town–that’s why we’re here!  Not because we HAVE to be, but because we WANT to be.

That’s why it is heartwarming to see new investments come to fruition.  It means that other people “get it” and want to stake their claim to the community.  New neighbors are welcome here, and if you would like to renovate a charming home with beautiful wooden floors, rent an apartment in the newly constructed University Place, or find a place to post your business’s “Now Open” sign, then by all means come and be a part of the rediscovery, the renewal, the NEWNESS of West Jackson.

Last Thursday was a busy day for the West side.  One University Place opened its doors for potential residents to take a sneak peek at its 78 apartments and McDonald’s (see story) cut a ribbon to signify the reopening of it’s Highway 80 restaurant.  McDonald’s demolished its old restaurant and rebuilt the new one on the same site in approximately 3 months.  Take a look at the photos taken at the Open House event at University Place and the Ribbon Cutting at the newly constructed McDonald’s.

(P.S. Much thanks to the Center for University-Based Development‘s Director, Dr. Kimberly Hilliard, for taking pictures for the blog at the McDonald’s Ribbon Cutting ceremony!)

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