Brookhaven Aldermen: New businesses coming to town; problem properties addressed

Published 12:00 pm Thursday, October 21, 2021

Brookhaven building inspector David Fearn updated the city’s Board of Aldermen Tuesday night on some economic developments within the city.

Fearn noted new businesses coming into the city and existing businesses making upgrades.

  • KFC’s new location on Brookway Boulevard is scheduled to open in December.
  • Rally’s Drive-In Restaurant will move into the existing KFC location on Brookway Boulevard after the building is remodeled.
  • Tropical Smoothie Café is still working on setting up in the former Payless Shoes location on Brookway Boulevard. Work elsewhere in the company has caused delays, but TSC still intends to open a Brookhaven location.
  • The Blue Sky convenience store and gas station on Brookway Boulevard near Hwy. 51 will shut down soon. The building will be demolished and Blue Sky will have a “bigger and better” store built in its place.
  • A large convenience store/gas station is in the process of being built at the Old Coke Plant location at the corner of Hwy. 51 and Natchez Avenue.
  • A new Los Parrilleros restaurant will soon begin construction on Brookway Boulevard Extension in front of Home Depot, next to the former IHOP location.
  • Tortilla Soup is now open on South Whitworth Avenue downtown.
  • Rex Lumber is building a plant to manufacture wood pellets.
  • An empty storefront location in Lincoln Plaza on Hwy. 51 N will be remodeled for a dress shop.
  • Approximately one-half to three-fourths of the homes in the Mill Creek subdivision have been leased to tenants.
  • Several new homes are being built are several remodels are going on.

“That means there’s a lot of money coming into Brookhaven,” Fearn said.

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A public hearing was scheduled for 6 p.m. on Dec. 21 concerning a property at the corner of North Second and East Court streets. Two structures on the property — a house and a former laundromat — are up for sale, but may be officially condemned and destroyed if the sale does not materialize.

The condemnation and planned demolishing of another property on Railroad Street was placed on hold in September due to the owner’s request to wait on a potential buyer who said he wanted to meet with Fearn and Mayor Joe Cox about the property. The buyer has made no contact with them, Fearn said. Tuesday, aldermen approved going ahead with taking the structure down.

Aldermen also approved removal of a burned mobile home on Molly Street.

The aldermen are actively reviewing ordinances and moving ahead with clean up of abandoned or neglected properties around the city, including dilapidated buildings and houses; properties where several vehicles are sitting in the yard or driveway in states of disrepair; and mobile home parks without adequate lighting and other safety measures in place.