-This is Steve Beverly asking for your help.

WLJT Channel 11, West Tennessee's home for educational and quality TV since 1968 needs your financial support.

We don't sell commercials.

Instead, we rely on donations from viewers.

Channel 11 is the most local station in all of West Tennessee, bringing you local shows about events, happenings, and issues important to West Tennessee.

It's really easy to donate.

Go to westtnpbs.org.

It's quick, easy, and secure.

Donate today and show your support for local, educational, and quality television.

Channel 11 needs your support today.

-Just in 2023, they saw 23 new businesses, and over $12 million invested in public and private improvements.

Hello, I'm Julie Cooke.

On this edition of Tennessee is Talking, the topic is Downtown Jackson.

Discover the history of Jackson through a self-guided history tour, shop at the Farmers' Market, volunteer at a non-profit, and get inspired by the arts district.

Let the conversation begin.

-We are rolling.

Confirm recording.

Can we get a mic check?

Check.

Check.

Standby camera two, take two.

Standby announcer in three, two.

-West Tennessee PBS presents Tennessee is Talking.

Let the conversation begin.

-Thanks for joining the discussion here on Tennessee is Talking.

Hello, I'm Julie Cooke.

The soul of Jackson lives in the downtown district with the shops, food, and entertainment.

Here to tell us more is downtown director, Bethann Simpson.

Thanks so much for joining us.

Downtown development, first of all, and I don't know if a lot of folks know what that is, but it was formerly called the Jackson Downtown Development Corporation, and has evolved over the years.

It's Downtown Development, and that's exactly what is going on.

What is your function there as the director?

-It's to lead that non-profit that is really focused on community and economic development, to promote downtown, the existing businesses that are there, to recruit additional businesses to join us, to be an advocate for our downtown businesses and our partners.

Yes, really just to encourage folks to be downtown, and help us to create momentum, and create new investment.

Yes, that's what we're here for.

-It's been interesting to watch over the years because I worked downtown for many years, and there've been upswings and activities and things going on, and businesses, and then maybe a little bit of downturn.

I don't remember ever having as much activity and businesses located as we have now downtown.

Is that the correct observation?

-I think that there's definitely a new momentum.

I think, 10 years ago when you had the Jackson Walk and Lift Project, that development was really just a catalyst for other folks to come in and buy property, and revitalize, and redevelop.

Now you're seeing new momentum in the core of downtown, and connecting other pieces of downtown that I think had been neglected for years.

-Just the amount of residential rental and homes built has grown tenfold.

-That's right.

-Probably in the past 5 or 10 years.

-That's right.

Then because of those residential units, whether it's homes that are connecting to Midtown, or apartments in the core of downtown, that the success of the residential will then turn to more restaurants and more retail.

I think we'll just see more of that.

-Something you do and we participate in is the Downtown Roundtable that actually gets the merchants involved.

Tell everybody how that works.

-Yes.

We meet every other month in City Hall, and the city sends representatives as well.

It's been going on for two years now.

It's downtown business owners, it's nonprofits, other partners and leaders that care deeply about downtown and its success.

It's an opportunity for people to come with whether it's questions, concerns, hear updates, collaborate on events and things that are going on.

I think that's what makes downtown so unique, is truly when you come down, you see that people are working together, they're pulling off events together, they're collaborating, they're supporting each other, and sharing about each other's businesses.

Those roundtables really help to connect the business owners and the nonprofits, both in the ways that, whether it's supporting an event or if it's trying to come up with solutions for a problem we're seeing.

I think that constant communication is what has allowed us to just keep moving the needle forward.

-You're charged as well with creating events.

What are your challenges there trying to think of something new specifically for that downtown area?

-I think JDDC used to spend more time on events like a music festival, or a parade.

We've really seen that as the businesses and organizations .. they're doing those things, and we're just championing their events.

We're advocating for them, if it's helping them figure out how to get a road closure, or how to get that word out about their event, and helping promote it.

We do more of that work.

What we've tried to focus on from JDDC's perspective is, how do we create programs that increase our foot traffic, and our folks popping into shops?

We have folks focused more on those economic-driven programs, like our Lavender Trail in June that we do.

-What is that?

-It's a themed trail.

We ask business owners to submit whether it's a drink, a food item, a product you can buy that is lavender-themed.

We promote that for the whole month of June, and we encourage folks to come and try all the things that are lavender downtown.

We've seen people print off our list and walk around downtown, or look online and see and go from store to store and see what's available.

That was because we saw a gap with summer time that we might see a slump in business.

What could we do to drive some extra business downtown?

Then we do the holiday passport program where we're encouraging holiday shopping for the month, like November 15th through December 15th.

You have a passport, and all the participating businesses have their own unique sticker.

As you shop, you collect those stickers on your passport for shopping with those businesses.

When you turn it in at the end of the program, those participants, people that have shopped and patronize these businesses have an opportunity to walk away with hundreds of dollars in grand prizes.

Those are the type of things we've focused on.

Food Truck Friday is another one to help support the food industry and those food trucks that need a space to come.

We park those outside the local or the Farmers' Market just to drive some traffic there on Friday.

-We've had a couple of rainy Fridays we've had to move under the Farmers' Market.

-We've had.

Or really hot Fridays.

-Yes, and there's still a lot of people that come out.

Did you ever get the portable, I don't know if it's portable, what you call it, the skating rink?

Because that was out at Lafayette and Shannon, the corner there.

I know the first one got weathered out.

It w.. -It was.

The City of Jackson, or the United Way that does Christmas in the City did th..

They ended up doing an ice skating rink.

I don't know exactly what is in store yet for the details of Christmas events, but JDDC also does that.

We're partnering with the city and other organizations that are already doing these things, and how can we come alongside and help?

-What do you think the challenge is for getting people to come downtown?

Because I know on Saturday morning, you can't stir them with a stick.

It is so crowded down at the Farmers' Market in the certain times.

Then a lot of people will say, "Well, I've never been to the NED," or, "I've never been to this place or that place downtown."

They come to the AMP sometimes.

There's definitely, maybe this don't make it down there or what, but what do you think your challenge is really in attracting more folks to come downtown?

-I think sometimes it is, what we'll notice too, something we're working on as downtown development, is this connectivity that there's more than just, like when you come on Saturday morning, and you come to the Farmers' Market.

-If that's the only time you come, then a lot of things are closed, and they're not going to be open at 7:00 AM when you get there.

-That's right.

How do we get them to see that there's more beyond that?

We even have folks that maybe park their car for the Farmers' Market, and then get back in their car and drive across the core of downtown.

We're encouraging them, walk and see what you see along the way.

You're going to discover new restaurants, new retail that's opened.

I think some of that is our signage.

We don't have wayfinding signage that really directs you to different places.

-I know that's been a topic that's come .. [crosstalk] -Yes, and so that's something we're working on.

We've got some wayfinding signage that's on its way, and some temporary signage that's going to direct people to different spots of downtown that maybe they haven't considered before.

Or maybe you are someone who comes to the NED, but you don't go anywhere else after that.

We want to direct you to go grab dinner before, or grab a drink after, or to do more while you're downtown because there's plenty to do, but sometimes you just don't know about it, and you don't know where it is.

Parking is one of those things that people are intimidated.

They're walking way further in a Walmart parking lot actually, but because they can't see their building, or see what's right in front of them.

-It seems further away.

-It seems further away, and they don't necessarily wan.. in a lot and walk.

We're really trying to encourage folks to, I don't know, challenge themselves in that.

-Carpool.

-Yes, just walk in, especially when the weather's good.

Right now this is the season to be walking in it.

This fall, walk in, see, discover something new.

Yes, I think that that, and then also maybe just, you don't know where to find that information.

I still have folks that don't realize we have a website now for downtown.

We have an Instagram and a Facebook.

We have a whole events calendar.

Anything that's happening downtown is on our downtown events calendar.

-It's just Jackson Downtown?

-It's just downtownjacksontn.

-Downtown Jackson, yes, TN.

-That's our Instagram, Facebook, and our website.

I think that's just still new.

I think before I took this role and had the co-support and their communications team, we didn't have those resources, especially the website developed.

That's still a newer tool.

We hope people will go there for information.

We have a full directory of what's downtown.

We want people to go, and follow us, and figure out what's happening downtown.

Yes.

-Were you talking about, at one point, an app?

Was this for a certain activity that we were talking about, or was that for just places to go in general?

-No, it's a collaboration with the Visit Jackson app.

Our walking trails that we did for our walkability campaign, the Lavender Trail has been on there.

We have a history trail, fitness trail, public art trail, all these things that if you were visiting, you could pull up these trails on, either they're on our website and they're also on the Visit Jackson app.

It's going to tell you exactly each location, and show you a map of how to get there.

That's a collaboration with Visit Jackson.

We really appreciate them.

We just send them our downtown trails, and they load them on the app.

I think it's a very underutilized app.

It's a really helpful tool if you're visiting or if you're a resident of Jackson and Madison County to use that app to see what-- -What is the name of that?

Just Visit Jackson?

-Visit Jackson.

It's a great tool.

-Yes.

Is that related to the visitjacksontn.com or is that taking its place?

-Yes, it's all the same.

No, they still use their website, which is really helpful too, and their event calendar.

The app is nice and user-friendly on your phone.

Like I said, it's got a lot of those little trails that are just, like I said, a nice thing to have as you're trying to navigate where to go.

-There's a good bit of artwork going up too, or down.

Some of it's on the street.

-That's right.

-We're about to get some more.

Talk about that a little bit.

Is that a grant that you have?

-Yes, that's how i.. Back a couple of years ago, the mayor designated downtown as an arts district.

We have several cultural arts centers downtown.

You've got several event venues that the arts occur in, and you've got several non-profits organizations that are arts-related downtown.

It really makes sense that we're an arts district.

I think since that designation, we've then had folks bring other arts-related programs downtown because of that.

Art on Shannon is new since they've done that, which is a space for artists to have studio space that's affordable.

-That's right, where Shannon ends at the 45 Bypass?

-Yes.

That's right.

That has turned into just artists being around downtown, and being more accessible.

Then our grant that happened on Main and Church, we got it from Tennessee ECD.

We got a downtown improvement grant, which was predominantly used for facade improvements, cleaning up those business facades, and signage, and pressure washing, and painting.

Then we pulled a portion of that to do some crosswalk art, and it was the first of its kind in Jackson.

We hadn't done that before, so we had to navigate some challenges of how to close down the road and get this done in time.

We selected a local artist, and that's what the Rockabilly Walk is right there at Church in Main.

That was really to slow traffic.

We have a pretty busy Main Street.

It helps to slow traffic, get people's attention, and hopefully increase walking traffic, foot traffic, which is what we want, is people to come over there and support some of those new businesses like Turntable Coffee, and the 906, and some of those new retail spots on Main Street, or Havner's Frame Shop.

That little area had started to see some reinvestment, and we wanted to just come alongside them.

Then as a result of that crosswalk art, the mayor was like, "We want to see more of this."

Our Jackson Home out of the Co has partnered with the city, and they have a plan to put several new public art installations over the next two years in the Arts District.

You'll be hearing more about that.

They released one that is going to be some sidewalk art over there by the Farmers' Market and the local on Lafayette Street.

Then that will be another community opportunity where they want volunteers to come out and help put it down.

That's a fun experience.

I think people should just stay in the know of when those things are happening.

-It's usually on Saturday morning, isn't it?

-They typically try to do that.

-Because there's not as much traffic in Downtown.

-Yes.

I think they try to do it wh.. whether it's Friday or Saturday.

Then there's two RFPs out for-- -What's an RFP?

-It's like a call for proposals, for people to put in their proposal for what they would want to do there.

There's going to be a mural at the AMP, and then some functional art over there at the Anderson Park at the Farmers' Market.

The Farmers' Market little hub is going to see several public art installations this year.

-I get excited just coming to the roundtable, that there are a number of young people who have started businesses downtown.

That's very encouraging.

There are a couple of hair salons, and I'm tr..

Some of the newer ones.

-Some retail.

Yes, there's some retail.

There's even some young restaurant owners.

-Yes.

New restaurant owners.

-Yes.

I think that's been fun to see that downtown's become a hub.

I don't know if it's in part because of the local.

I think it helps definitely in that being a feeder for that.

You've got this young entrepreneur culture that's developed downtown, and people want to be downtown to be a part of that community.

-Now talk about the local.

-Yes, I will.

-Those are the little brown.. and their little baby mini shops- -They are.

--if you will.

It's a starter place for many.. -That's right.

It's an incubator.

It's micro retail.

It's to get people to test out.

Maybe they already have a business they're doing from home or online, and they want to test out brick and mortar, but they don't want the risk of-- -And the rent.

-The rent of a larger space when they don't know how this is going to go.

It's a good way to test.

We have low overhead.

JDDC manages the property.

Takes care of a lot for you, but then you pay lower rent, and you have short term leases.

They all sign a year lease with the potential for a second year.

From that you have people that graduate into larger space downtown.

Out of the like 15 tenants we've had, we've had 7 graduate to larger space downtown or midtown.

That's ultimately the goal.

Then you've also had people be like, "Okay, this doesn't work for me, but I'm going to sell my products in another downtown shop."

They are learning what might work for their business.

The three we have right now, those tenants are doing really well.

We'll see what's next for them.

I know one is already beginning to think about where they may go next in space.

That's the whole point.

We hope it continues to be a feeder for downtown businesses.

Examples are Turntable Coffee was at the local.

Garner Blue was one of the original local tenants.

The Nine Oh Six, now, she was a year at the local, and then moved to Main Street.

Now, Lakyn has five other tenants, smaller pop-up businesses .. She's created another little incubator.

You see a lot of those young business owners.

-That is very exciting.

-It is exciting.

-It gives them a way to invest without spending so much, and without just maybe losing the form.

-I think there's a gap.

You go from starting your business, and then you're .. on larger space and higher rents.

There needs to be a stepping stone to get there or they're not going to be successful.

-Everybody doesn't have that advantage.

-They do.. That's what we're here for.

-To survive that resource.

Do you have any major things that you would like to see happen?

Even small projects that you'll be working on in the next year?

-Yes, I think one, there's going to be some exciting things.

Every month I feel like I'm announcing a new business, which has just really been cool.

I'm sure that may slow down at some point, but it's been fun to constantly.

We do new business features through our Instagram and Facebook, and I feel like I'm always setting one up, which is exciting.

I hope to see more of that.

We do have some vacancies downtown, so we still have potential t.. We need the right people in those places, so we're going to be focusing on recruiting, and how do we get some folks in those spaces?

-The space seems to be opening up for opportunity.

-It is.

We encourage people to come look downtown, or connect with us and we'll get you to the property owner or developer.

I think you're going to see some cool things coming out of the area by the Jackson sign, and potentially, a hotel on the corner of Lafayette and Airways.

-We have been hearing about that.

That's right in that, Lafayette is shut off right now.

-That's right.

-I know you've heard a lot about that.. -Is that- -It's still in the works.

--on?

Not sealed?

-No.

The property has been acquired, and I think .. Having overnight stays downtown would be really important, where people could park-- -That's one thing that is key.

-We don't that.

You'll have the one that's going to be in midtown near the hospital, which is a great next step too.

You're already seeing people pop up more and more Airbnbs, and those are occupied.

Since I took this job, I think we went from, when I first took it, zero Airbnbs downtown to now I think we have six or seven in the core.

Then you've got several residential apartments too that are long-term leases.

There is a need for overnight stays.

I think a hotel would be just really impactful, but you're looking at several years down the road for that.

Then just several properties that Prosper is working on, will be exciting to see what they do with them.

Then you've got Jackson Walk, Henry Turley team has announced that they'll do a Phase 3 around the roundabout.

There'll be a whole 'nother development like Jackson Walk behind the roundabout.

-You mentioned Prosper, and it's hard to talk about downtown and not mention what all that company is about.

It's basically a real estate company, but they do so many other services.

-Sure.

-There's been a lot of renovation.

I know Mr. John Allen did a lot of that work for a long time, and still has some apartments and things down there.

Prosper has taken over a lot of that, and they're doing .. -They are, and they've got several projects still to come.

They're responsible for places like Turntables Building and Havner's Frame Shop, to Jackson's Kitchen & Catering spaces, to the New Bodega, which is a little corner store, and Taylor Lane Boutique that's down there.

All those are Prosper spaces that they've gotten ready for great tenants.

I think there's just more to come.

-We're winding down on our time, which we could talk forever.

-We could.

-I've had the pleasure to t.. but Beth Ann, you're pretty much a one-woman show down there, aren't you?

-Yes.

-I know you collaborate- -I do.

--with a lot of different ones.

-We have the support of the Co, and their marketing team, which is crucial.

All the beautiful things you see on the website and social media is the Co's team.

We're really grateful for that partnership.

Then I have a board, and they're a wonderful active board made up of business owners and partners downtown.

Yes, as far as JDDC staff, it's me.

-Just dancing to the music, I guess.

-That's right.

-It's been a real joy to talk to you as always, and just finding out things to be.

Go ahead and just send a personal invitation to everybody who's watching and tell them to come on down.

-Please do.

Please do.

Please, follow us on our Instagram, and Facebook, and our website @downtownjacksontn.

If you're looking at ways to support downtown, I think one of the best ways you can do that is to use their businesses, and shop their services, and eat downtown.

Do all those things to keep our businesses thriving.

-Don't just come on Sunday morning when everything's closed.

-Come down, and come to an event, and eat before, and come support our downtown.

-Thank you so much- -You're welcome.

--Beth Ann Simpson.

I'm sorry that we are out of time fo..

Thank you again, Beth Ann Simpson, for stopping by, telling us about Downtown Jackson.

If you want to re-watch the program or share it with a friend, remember, it can be streamed anytime on the PBS app, along with all local Channel 11 programs.

You can also watch it on the West Tennessee PBS YouTube channel and on westtnpbs.org.

Keep the conversation going by following West Tennessee PBS on social media.

Until next time, keep on talking, Tennessee.

[music] -Hello.

It's Peter Noll, Channel 11 Gener.. along with Steve Beverly.

We are coming to you to ask for your support.

Channel 11 does not air commercials.

We rely on you, our viewers, for your financial support.

If you like shows like Tennessee is Talking that talk locally about topics-- -Issues that are important to you at home.

-It's a 30-minute show that is one topic.

We're not about a 92nd story or a quick soundbite.

We like to let things breathe, and that's what Tennessee is Talking is all about.

-If you like Tennessee is Talking, we have a number of items here for you.

We have got this folder in the satchel that has a place with a pin holder on it, and we have the tote bag, that that is something you can carry around some key things with you.

-And the Tennessee is Talking cap.

Donate now and one of these thank you gifts can be yours, westtnpbs.org.

[music] -The program you've been watching was made possible through the generous financial support of West Tennessee PBS viewers like you.

Please visit westtnpbs.org and make a donation today so that we can continue to make local programs like this possible.

Thank you.

[music]