The city of Starkville is considering three sites for the proposed justice complex after almost four years of debate over the location and two city administrations.
One is the former site of the Millsaps Automotive dealership site located at the intersection of Lampkin and Jackson streets, Ward 5 Alderman Matt Cox said. The site offers over two acres of land and the capacity to double the current space allotted for the court and justice buildings.
A needs-analysis survey completed about four years ago showed that the new justice complex should contain 30,000 square feet, nearly five times as much as it currently holds, Cox said.
The Millsaps site will not allow these needs to be met, Ward 3 Alderman P.C. McLaurin said.
“It would be very difficult to get everything that was proposed, including on-site parking, on the Millsaps property,” he said.
That is where local architect Gary Shafer comes in, Cox said. Shafer will conduct a feasibility survey of the property, accounting for parking, possible renovations to existing buildings on the site and other factors that will influence construction. The survey will be completed and reported to the Board of Aldermen by March so that the board can act on its findings.
Cox thinks compromise will be essential to the finalization of site selection for the complex.
“One of the biggest issues has been failure to compromise,” Cox said. “We have a group of people who have very strong feelings about their ideas on the justice issue.”
Assuming the feasibility study returns positively, other factors may stand in the way of the decision to place the justice complex on the Millsaps site. These factors arose in the form of two new sites that may be discussed for the construction of the complex.
Five acres of land were offered to the city by a citizen under the condition that the city extend Hospital Road to Miss. Highway 25, McLaurin said.
Also, the former site of the Coca-Cola plant on Miss. Highway 12 is back on the market and could be considered for the justice complex, he said.
“The aldermen and mayor need to seriously discuss which site is best suited for the complex,” McLaurin said. “Once this decision is reached we can move on to planning the facility itself, but until then no definite plans can be made.”