Housing development opens in Jackson after almost a decade of planning [Video]

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – The building that previously housed the Holiday Inn Southwest on Highway 80 in Jackson has now been renovated into the Pearl Apartments and Jackson-Hinds Comprehensive Health Center.

The hotel had been abandoned for years and became an eyesore in the capital city. The plans to renovate the space into a senior housing building started in 2016 with a town hall meeting hosted by Pearl Street AME Church.

“Any time you have a city, and you have a lot of empty buildings, then you have a tendency to get people here that might not be the best people to be in here. That the community has to worry about safety, but when you renovate and revitalize that area, it’s good for everybody,” CEO of Jackson-Hinds Comprehensive Health Center, Dr. Jasmin O. Chapman, said.

The space features 76 affordable apartment homes with an on-site community health clinic for …