Southaven adds farmers market to Silo Square plans
Silo Square’s developer won approval from Southaven to add yet another layer to the 288-acre, mixed-use development patterned after a town square concept.
The Board of Aldermen voted unanimously Tuesday, Dec. 6, for subdivision approval of three lots on the northern end of the commercial portion of the development. Two of the lots are slated for offices, while the third will be used for a farmers market.
Whitney Choat-Cook, the city’s planning director, described the coming farmers market as a structure with roll-up doors that gives an open-air vibe. It will be along Market Square Avenue and be ready for sales next spring.
Silo Square was conceived by developer Brian Hill with the notion to give Southaven residents a place to dine, shop high-end retail and live in houses or luxury loft apartments. The city was keen to the plans as a way to enhance nearby Snowden Grove Park’s sports and entertainment experience.
While the town square part of the development at Getwell Road and May Boulevard is about 50% complete, every few months news, of more commercial is circulated.
Coming businesses include a small grocery store, a daycare that gives priority to Silo Square residents and a restaurant with a green space for eating and recreation.
Elected officials are very careful about what goes in at Silo Square and near Snowden Grove. The total economic impact of the park, which hosts the annual Dizzy Dean Baseball World Series and other sports tournaments, is estimated at $30 million.
In that vein, the mayor and board followed up Tuesday on a discussion of two lots even closer to those baseball diamonds than Silo Square.
The two lots sit in front of the city parks office on Pine Tar Alley, east of Getwell. (Silo Square lies west of Getwell.) The lots together total about 3 acres.
On Tuesday, the board voted to require any hotel needing a conditional use permit for the site to have an STR (Smith Travel Research) rating. That rating will help elected officials easily gauge the quality of any hotel brand seeking to use the property.
“It’s such a critical piece of property,” Southaven Mayor Darren Musselwhite said. “We want to make sure we don’t open that up to just any hotel.”
A Hampton Inn & Suites has already been approved nearby, while the property owner for the other two lots has not yet received commitments.
“We’re making decisions for what can happen in the future,” Musselwhite said. “The property owner is a very respectful businessman in our community, and I have no doubts whatsoever that he’s going to try to do something in a quality way. But we have to know. Once he sells that property, he’s out.”
The conditional use requirements will remain even if there’s a change in the hotel brand years in the future, the planning director said.
“We want to make sure whatever comes in there is vetted, is (financially) stable, good amenities, good price point,” Choat-Cook said.