'Anything and everything is a possibility' for Lake Hico property
Lake, land make up more than 600 acres
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Updated: 10:00 PM CDT Jul 13, 2021
Lake, land make up more than 600 acres
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Updated: 10:00 PM CDT Jul 13, 2021
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16 WAPT'S ERIN PICKENS GOT ANSWERS ON WHAT'S HAPPENING THERE AND WHAT TH E FUTURE MAY HOLD. "ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING IS A POSSIBILITY AT THIS PARTICULAR POINT IN TIME." JOE ALBRIT GHIS TALKING ABOUT THE FUTURE OF LAKE HICO. THE BODY OF WATER, PS LU THE LAND SURROUNDING IT,S I MORE THAN 600-ACS. RE IT'S WHAT'S CALLED "16TH SECTION LAND", A GEOGRAPHICAL DESIGNATION IN MISSISSIPPI SET ASIDE FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION. ALBRIGHT IS THE CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER FOR JACKSON PUBLIC SCHOO. LS FOR MANY YEARS, THIS LAND HAS BEEN LEASED TO ENTER AND LAKE HICO HAS SERVED AS A COOLING POND FOR THEIR NEARBY POWER PLA. NOW, THAT PLANT IS SHUT DOWN AND ENTER IGYS MOVING ON, WHAT'S NEXT? "WHAT'S THE REMEDIATION GOG INTO LOOK LIKE? IS THERE LONG-TERM TESTING THAT WILL HAVE TO BE CONTINUE D? SEDIMENT AND SOIL TESTG? IN ALL OF THOSE THINGS." WHEN ENTERGY NOTIFI ED JPS THEY WOULDN'T BE RENEWING THEIR LEASE, THE ORIGINAL CONTRACT CALLED FOR IT TO BE PUT BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL CONDITION. ONE PART OF THAT IS DRAINGNI THE BIG LAKE, SOMETHING THAT'S BN EE HAPPENING FOR SEVERAL WEEKS NO PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THI PART OF NORTHWEST JACKSON HAVE PROBABLY SEEN THE EQUIPMENT THAT'S SETUP. ANOTHER PART OF THE PROCESS INVOLVES THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY. THE LAKE IS CONSIDERED A WASTEWATER TREATMENT UT NI AS COOLING WATER WAS DISCHARGED INTO IT DURING OPERATIONS. REGULATIONS REQUE IR CLOSURE OF SUCH UNITS TO ENSURE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION. ENTERGY IS IN THE PLANNING STAGES OF HOW TO CLOSE OUT THE UNIT, AND WE ARE AWAITING A PLAN ON HOW TH E CLOSURE WILL BE CONDUCTED. PART OF THAT WILL INCLUDE SEDIMENT TESTING TO DETERMINE CLOSURE CONDITIONS AND SOME SOIL, SEDIMENT AND FISH SAMPLING HAS OCCURR. ED "THAT'S WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW. WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK WITH ENTERGY TO GET T HE LAKE DRAINED. ENTERGY IS CONTINUING TO WORK WITH MDEQ TO FINISH UP THIS CLOSURE PLAN, SO THAT ONCE THE LAKE IS DRAID,NE THEN WE'LL KNOW WHAT THE NEXT STEPS ARE." ONCE ALL OF THIS IS DON E, THE BIG QUESTION THAT MANY ARE ASKING: WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO ALL OF THAT LA? ND "THIS REALLY IS TO RESTO THE LAND SO THAT WE CAN USE IT FOR OTHER PURPOSES. THERE COULD BE A RECREATIOL NA LAKE HERE. THERE COULD BE HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS. THERE COULD BE AN ATHLETIC COMPLEX. THERE COULD BE ALL OF THOSE THINGS." IF THE LAND IS VIABLE, DEVELOPMENTS LIKE THAT WOULD BE A HUGE BOOST TO THE CAPITAL CITY. DOROTHY THOMPSON IS PRESIDENT OF THE MISSISSIPPI SOASCIATION OF REALTORS. SHE SEES TWO POSITIV. ES "O TNEHING THAT'S GREAT ABOUT THIS PROJECT IS, I FEEL THAT IT WOULD REPLA CE THE INCOME THAT JASON CK PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS GETTING FROM ENTERGY. TWO, IT WOU LD INCREASE THE TAX BASES FOR THE CITY OF JACKSON." HO TMPSON SAYS THE EASY ACCESS TO INTERSTATES-220 AND 55 IS ALSO APPEALING, AS WELL AS ITS SIZE. WITH THAT MUCH ACREAGE, THERE'S ENOUGH SPACE FOR A MULTI-USE DEVELOPMENT THAT COULD MEET ALL OF A PERSON'S NEE. DS "WHEN YOU HAVE A PLACE WHERE YOU LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY, YOU DON'T HAVE TWORRY O ABOUT RUNNING ERRANDS ALL ACROSS THE CITY. EVERYTHING IRIS GHT THERE. SO, IT'S A WALKABLE COMMUNITY, IF YOU WANT T" SHE MENTIONED THE DISTRICT AT EASTOVER, AS WELL AS ANOTHER BOOMG IN PART OF JACKSON, AS SMALLER VERSIONS OF WHAT THE LAKE HICO AREA COULD BE ONCE IT'S ABLE TO BE DEVELOPED. "EVEN THOUGH THAT IS A SMALLER, GREAT DEVELOPMENT WITH 21 ACRE S, JUST THINK WHAT YOU COULD DO WITH 500 ACRES. ALSO, T HE SAME CONCEPT IS HAPPENING IN THE FONDREN ARE" A. ALL PARTIES INVOLVED KNOW NONE OF THIS WILL HAPPEN OVERNIGHT. JPS LEADERS WANT TO KE MA SURE PEOPLE ARE INFORMED AND PLANNING IS UNDERWAY TO MAKE THE BEST USE OF THE LAND. "THIS REALLY IS ABOUT DRAINING THEAK LE, MAKE SURE IT'S SAFE, THEN MAKE THIS AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CITY OF JASOCKN AND THE REGI