2021 Southaven Magazine: Talk Of The Town

SOUTHAVEN’S NEW SILO SQUARE DEVELOPMENT PROVIDES A STYLISH NEW HOME FOR BOTH LONGTIME LOCAL FAVORITES AND ALL-NEW BUSINESSES, LUXURY LOFT APARTMENTS, AND SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES.

When Silo Square developer Brian Hill decided to move forward with his plan for a pedestrian friendly community and mixed-use town square center, unlike anything Southaven has ever seen, compromise wasn’t an option. You just don’t see people constructing buildings with this much architectural detail anymore,” says Hill. “It’s not cheap to do and it’s not for the faint of heart. But I can’t recreate the very unique charm we’re going for here without going to the highest degree of detail. There’s so many tiny elements that go into it. The brick we use, for example, is a simulated old brick made of a particular size to match how they were produced in a particular time period. That doesn’t happen easily.”

These little details and more have come to define Silo Square, a project that sprang to life from several drawings done by Hill on graph paper and now stands poised to add a whole new layer of architectural character to Southaven.

“You can see it in the brick detail of the buildings: the corbeling at the top and brick arches, the clad windows made just like the ones used a hundred years ago, and more,” Hill says. “All that stuff is something you just don’t see nowadays.”

The square mile of land between Tchulahoma, Nail, Goodman, and Getwell Roads that forms the face of Silo Square underwent significant construction in 2020. Although still in the early stages of the massive development, Silo Square’s charm and community have come to life in the form of several new storefronts that have opened up over the past year.

Slim Chickens on Getwell, which opened in July 2019, was the first business to take root in Silo Square. Soon after, popular local favorites like Salon Haven, Ultimate Gifts, Custom Jewelry, City Hall Cheesecake, Posh Nails + Aesthetics, and Magnolia House were among the first to open shop. According to Hill, these types of small, local businesses represent a taste of what’s to come for the area.

“We’ve had multiple national brands try to lease space on The Square, and we’ve had to turn them down,” says Hill. “I can’t create that charming, small-town feel by bringing in national brands.”

Master plans detailing Silo Square’s original 228 acres encompass 300+ single-family homes, 275+ luxury loft apartments, a town square center with six retail and/or restaurant outparcels, one bank outparcel, two hotels, 13 mixed-use town square buildings, three office lots, and a farmer’s market all providing approximately 250,000 square feet of commercial space.

Inspired by famous and iconic town squares from destination cities across the United States, construction efforts aimed to incorporate a number of classic elements of town centers, including a fully-functional bell tower, roundabout navigation, and mixed-use commercial buildings with loft apartments. The new bell tower, which was completed toward the end of 2020, was built using a refurbished solid bronze church bell cast around 1893 in New England. Like any historic old town square or city center, shoppers and visitors strolling around May Boulevard on any given day can hear the bell ringing a new hour with the classic Westminster Chime and hour strikes.

Dozens of residential homes behind the bell tower have already been sold by Austin Realty Group, Inc.

“The [38] loft apartments above the town square are going phenomenal and have all been leased,” says Hill. Silo Square plans to open 14 additional loft apartments in May. Thanks to the unique “Live, Work, Play” opportunity that Silo Square and the loft apartments bring to residents in all stages of life — everyone from new college graduates to retirees — Silo Square is seeing growing numbers of people looking to relocate to the new, thriving and growing community that offers the conveniences of a big city, but still has the small-town charm and feel. Just a quick walk downstairs, the loft residents have already embraced the Silo Square businesses.

“It’s been a great partnership,” says Southaven Mayor Darren Musselwhite. “Whenever I’m asked about what could make Southaven better, I always say something about providing more recreational and entertainment options for our citizens. We all want to see a situation where someone can park their car one time and have multiple places to shop, go eat, and maybe watch a college football or NFL game on the weekend. Brian shared this vision and actually put the money up to make things a reality for us.”

The approach behind Silo Square reflects a nationwide emphasis on more walkable, open-air public spaces to live and shop.

While Silo Square represents a booming community and endless opportunity for growth and commerce, it’s the unique details and location that will allow Silo Square to prosper for years to come. When you take exceptional, modern pedestrian connectivity and tie together the only “Live, Work, Play” community in the Mid-South to the Southeast’s premier recreational, entertainment, and sports facilities — Snowden Grove Park and BankPlus Amphitheater — you have the opportunity to make not only Silo Square, but also Southaven, a destination that draws people from near and far.