Shoppers who ventured out Friday enjoyed a number ofrecently-completed Brookhaven business ventures, but newconstruction is beginning to wane as temperatures drop and rainstarts to fall more often.

“It’s that time of year,” said Steve Moreton, Brookhavenbuilding inspector, about the weather-related slowdown.

Although new construction is stalling, Moreton and economicdevelopment officials pointed out a healthy list of new businessesor ones that have recently reopened following remodelings orrelocations.

“We’ve had more ribbon cuttings in the last four weeks thanwe’ve had in the last three months,” said Chandler Russ, executivevice-president of the Brookhaven-Lincoln County Chamber ofCommerce.

Among them are T.H. Perkins, which opened in the oldHeilig-Meyers location. Moreton said Furniture Junction is in theprocess of relocating to the boulevard in the space next to the newFred’s.

Also on the boulevard, Broma’s Deli opened last Saturday nearCiCi’s Pizza. Moreton said developers are considering anotherdining establishment as they finish some construction-related itemsat Whitebrook Square on the boulevard.

“They’re in the process of doing the parking and landscaping,”Moreton said.

Moreton also mentioned the redesigned McDonald’s that openedrecently.

“That’s a nice facility,” Moreton said. “They’ve got a greatlandscape scheme.”

In other commercial retail activity, Moreton said Expectationsowner Angie Warren is planning a new facility farther west onBrookway Boulevard. It will be located near Millane’s, he said.

“She outgrew her old location,” Moreton said.

Moreton indicated commercial development has been moving alongat a good pace, but residential activity is off somewhat.

“Housing has slowed down. There’s a lot of houses for sale inBrookhaven,” Moreton said.

Although new building activity has slowed in general, Moretonpointed out several projects that have begun or are close tostarting.

Faith Presbyterian Church has started work on a $750,000activity center.

“The weather and power line relocation has held them up,”Moreton said, mentioning a utility line and pole that has had to bemoved to accommodate the expanded area.

St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church on North Second Street alsois in the process of an expansion. It is pursuing a $130,000 newfamily life center, Moreton said.

In the health care area, a ground-breaking was recently held forthe Healthplex. The $943,500 facility, developed by HumanPerformance Company, will offer a variety of health services andwill be located on Highway 51.

An area utility company is increasing its presence in Brookhavenwith development of an expansion at its Highway 51 location.

Entergy is adding a $550,000, 3,200 square foot facility thatwill house 10 employees and serve as headquarters for its southMississippi work crews.

Customer Service Manager Jim Hedges said the facility, which isexpected to be ready in February, is good news on two fronts. Hesaid it will consolidate a work force that has been spread out atsubstations and will improve Entergy’s response times to outages byallowing needed materials to be stored at the central location.

“It proves Brookhaven and Lincoln County are important toEntergy because we’re replacing temporary offices with a permanentone that will consolidate our work force in the area,” Hedgessaid.