PHOTO SUBMITTED / An architectural drawing depicts the front of the new Miller & White office, which will be located at Whitworth Avenue and Monticello Street.

A downtown Brookhaven eyesore for several years will finally get a facelift beginning Monday. The vacant lot at the corner of Whitworth Avenue and Monticello Street will soon become the new home of Miller & White, an accounting firm.

Mary Helen Miller, a partner at Miller & White, said they have been very interested in returning downtown because of the unique atmosphere.

“It’s by chance that we heard about that lot being for sale,” she said. “We love the downtown atmosphere.”

After purchasing the lot in March and hiring Waycaster & Associates, they are working to have the building completed by the end of December.

“We would like to be in it before our next tax season,” she said.

The first phase of construction, which will involve removing existing concrete on the lot, is scheduled to begin Monday.

Although Miller & White has an existing blueprint, the partners are pending approval from the Mississippi Department of Transport for finalization. Miller said they hope to add a parking lot on the backside of the building to provide spots for employees and up to four clients to park without clogging up spaces downtown.

Because the parking lot’s entrance would involve the removal of existing on-street spots, Miller had to get permission from the Brookhaven Board of Aldermen, which was approved. The traffic changes occurring close to the railroad require approval from the Mississippi Department of Transportation. The application for such approval has been submitted, and they are waiting for an answer.

The existing plans call for an entrance from Monticello and an exit onto Whitworth.

Architects drew from the existing buildings downtown for this 2,500 square foot building.

“They did design a building complementary to downtown,” Miller said.

The front will face Whitworth and have an elevated front with a sloping roofline. The brick as well as the window choices will fit into the existing scheme of downtown, she said.

Miller did confirm rumors about an entrance to an old tunnel entrance that runs beneath the downtown area.

“It had beautiful archways, but we couldn’t salvage them,” she said.

She said the integrity of the foundation had to been considered and the stairway had previously been filled in with concrete.

At the beginning of 2015, Miller & White’s nine employees will hopefully be relocated downtown. Miller said the employees are looking forward to the downtown eateries and being close to the banks.

“We’re looking forward to just being able to walk,” she said, “and being a part of the revitalization of downtown.”

The lot has been vacant since a fire destroyed the previous building a number of years ago.