Petal sees growth in business corridors

PETAL - Business in Petal is booming with new and revamped locations sprouting up here and there.

A new shopping center is being built near Petal Family Practice Clinic just off the Evelyn Gandy Parkway that is expected to open in June, and another parcel is being prepped between The Wharf and Terrace Hill Dental Center.

"Now there will be shops and stuff on the opposite side (of the Gandy)," said Valerie Wilson, executive director of the Petal Area Chamber of Commerce.

The Summit will have space for nine retail locations and has room for a 6,000-acre outparcel. It is pre-leasing and is expected to be ready for business in June. The other property is "what we call 'shovel-ready' in terms of economic development," Wilson said.

Java Moe's is planning a location in Petal, which also will be located on Evelyn Gandy Parkway, near the new Petal Animal Clinic.

It will be the coffee chain's first location "built from the ground up," owner Kent McCarty said.

"We're excited about that, being able to pick everything from start to finish," he said.

It also will be the first sit-in location. There are two drive-through Java Moe's in Hattiesburg and Oak Grove, and a cafe at Forrest General Hospital.

The design for the Petal location is still in the works, but McCarty wants it to have the same Java Moe's personality.

"It'll be the same kind of feel that we have right now, a fun atmosphere," he said.

McCarty said the location should be ready to open in the later part of the year.

In addition to promoting growth on the parkway, Wilson is working on ways to help downtown businesses make improvements, too.

"While we have all this new growth, our other priority is making sure our downtown stays vibrant and active," Wilson said.

Creating a green space where visitors, shoppers and people with business can go and relax is in the works. Beautification efforts and creating events that will bring visitors to Petal are other things Wilson says will help.

There will be two events downtown in April, with more to be scheduled later in the year.

On April 9, there will be an Excel-abration, to celebrate the city's third recertification for the Excel by 5 program. The event will feature a rodeo theme.

And Petal has become the permanent home of the Southern Miss-Petal Intertribal Powwow, which will be April 15-17 at Hinton Park. If there is inclement weather, the powwow will be held inside the adjacent Petal Civic Center.

City officials also have stepped up to help businesses make improvements. Downtown businesses can apply for $1,000 mini grants to go toward making their locations look more appealing to passers-by, and hopefully ramp up sales. At least a dozen businesses have applied for the mini grants and half of them already have implemented improvements.

Davis Discount Glass and Auto Center, which has been in business for 35 years, had already started redoing its landscape when they heard about the mini grants, owners Jeff and Kori Davis said. They applied for and received a grant, which helped them with the beautification of their business.

"I think it's more inviting," Jeff Davis said. "For me, if I see a place that's got a little curb appeal, it makes me want to go there."

The Davises plan to continue revamping, including adding on to the building in the near future to give it a better work flow.

Chase Cullifer, owner of Chase's Tire & Auto, said he used part of the grant his business received to paint the building's exterior.

"And I made some other improvements," he said.

Other businesses that have taken advantage of the grants include Tropical Glamour and Advantage One Insurance.

City officials plan to implement the program again in the next fiscal year.

"It's been a good response — it's been very positive," Mayor Hal Marx said. "I've gotten very positive feedback from people to the improvements around town.

"It helps divert some of the cost to spruce up some of their businesses. We hope to continue to build on that."

It's also a good economic driver, Wilson said, as other businesses learn about and take advantage of what the city has to offer.

"It makes other businesses start to join in," she said.

Another part of the beautification of Petal includes the city's River Park. The park opened in 2015 and features a bike track and green space, but there will be other amenities as the park grows. Despite its newness, visitors already have come from all over the country as well as Australia.

Volunteers, including Eagle Scouts and students from Petal High School, have helped with the park, and sponsors, including BancorpSouth, Mississippi Power Co., Georgia Pacific and Leaf River Cellulose, have donated money to help develop the facilities.

"In terms of economic development, it could be huge," Wilson said.

Wilson works with Retail Strategies to help target specific businesses to locate in Petal, since they already have extensive research and strong relationships with businesses.

Wilson said another of the city's biggest economic drivers is its school system and the low crime rate.

"We offer just about everything," she said. "We're the safest city in the state."