The Downtown Starkville Business Association, in an effort to improve downtown Starkville, has commissioned six graduate students in landscape architecture to develop a master plan for improving the said area.
These improvements include a city hall, a bike path and roundabout and new high-end living spaces.
The Downtown Starkville Business Association directly involved students at MSU to improve the community and facilities that both students of MSU and residents of Starkville use. This gave the graduate students who were involved in drawing up the master plan a chance to gain real-world experience in their field and leave their mark on their community. Student involvement also saved Starkville money. To draw up its plan for downtown improvement, the city of Jackson spent $133,750. The MSU graduate students drew up the plan for free.
Many people think of university students as going to MSU from four to eight years and then leaving. Yet increasing student involvement in the city of Starkville begins to show that students have something to give Starkville besides patronage to businesses. This involvement is further incentive for students to make Starkville their permanent home.
A master plan for the improvement of downtown just makes sense. Last year a major concern in the city of Starkville was the practice of moving businesses away from the center of Starkville and expanding the outskirts of the city.
It’s good to know that downtown, the center of the city holding the very life of the community, will not be abandoned.
The university has a master plan for its future. This master plan focuses on making the university safer for pedestrian and bikes and featuring a roundabout and parking garages. The city of Starkville has followed suit in a sign that the university and the city of Starkville are tied closely together, as well as the pervading spirit of progress and downtown improvement.
The Reflector editorial board is made up of opinion editor Angela Adair, news editor Elizabeth Crisp, assistant news editor Jed Pressgrove sports editor Jeff Edwards, entertainment editor Dustin Barnes, managing editor Pam McTeer and editor in chief Josh Foreman.