- Main Street Pascagoula became an MMSA community in 2000, when Rebecca Davis was the director. Northrop took over the role last year when Davis retired.
Main Street Pascagoula has zero vacant buildings available in its Flagship District.
That staggering statistic represents a significant achievement for the one-person office that serves as a model Designated Mississippi Main Street Association (MMSA) community.
“We were in the process of working through some USDA (Rural Community Development Initiative) grants to bring in a consultant to develop a streamlined approach for a key property redevelopment game plan, and Pascagoula was approved,” said MMSA executive director Jim Miller. “Pascagoula called and said, ‘we don’t have one empty property in our downtown; give it to somebody else.’ I thought that was awesome, that Main Street Pascagoula had done a fantastic job of revitalizing their community.”
Main Street Pascagoula director Susannah Northrop explained: “We were sad because we were looking forward to that opportunity, but you apply for those grants a year in advance. At the time, we had properties that hadn’t been purchased or hadn’t begun any development, but now, every previously vacant building downtown has been purchased and is undergoing construction/renovations.”
Miller said Main Street Pascagoula has done “some very creative work” with the Pascagoula Redevelopment Authority concerning incentives to developers interested in redeveloping real estate, such as historic tax credits added in 2021.
Pascagoula, known for its antebellum architecture and rich 300-year history, has a population of 22,392. In 2023, its Main Street program attracted $12.5 million in private and public investment ($8.8 million private; $3.7 million public), launched eight (seven new and one expanded) businesses, created 22 new jobs, and logged 1,351 volunteer hours. Thirty-two downtown residential units were created, and two rehabilitation projects were completed.
Main Street Pascagoula became an MMSA community in 2000, when Rebecca Davis was the director. Northrop took over the role last year when Davis retired.
Already, Northrop has added an award-winning event, the New Year’s Eve Anchor Drop, to the busy lineup of eight annual festivals and events.
“We start out every year with our Krewe of Little Rascals Parade in February, and our St. Patty’s Party, a parade downtown and a bar crawl with live music,” said Northrop.
The Free Flowin’ Fest at Beach Park in May celebrates the Pascagoula “Singing” River, the largest free-flowing river in the U.S. (It stretches 80 miles and drains a watershed the size of Vermont.)
“We had our first Flagship Summer Market on June 15, (with) live music and arts and craft vendors, which encouraged downtown shopping and dining,” said Northrop. “Yesterday, we hosted a new event, Sip & Shop, where tickets were purchased through our website, and participating businesses offered 20 percent off storewide, plus there was a different wine sample at participating businesses with a collectible Flagship District wine glass. It also coincided with tax-free weekend in Mississippi (July 12-14).”
Festival Hispano, a fast-growing event held in September during Hispanic Heritage Month, drew nearly 5,000 people of all ethnicities last year.
The Goula Cruise, a 3-day event held at Beach Park during Cruisin’ the Coast in October, requires the highest number of volunteers. “The Goula Cruise is a hidden gem of Cruisin’ the Coast,” said Northrop. “Cruisers enjoy taking a break from the hot pavement and feeling the breeze under our beautiful live oak trees at Beach Park. There’s no other location like it on the coast.”
This year, during the Downtown for the Holidays celebration in December, which includes a Christmas parade and photos with Santa – and the Grinch!–, Main Street Pascagoula will host a Snow Village. “We thought it would be fun to bring a winter wonderland to our traditionally hot climate,” Northrop said.
On New Year’s Eve 2023, Main Street Pascagoula hosted the first Anchor Drop that drew nearly 7,500 attendees and won a 2024 MMSA award for Outstanding New Large Event. The anchor, locally crafted and featuring thousands of twinkling lights, dropped nearly 100 feet from City Centre at midnight.
“We had a light show, a local opening band and a headliner, and it was a really great event,” said Northrop. “We had a much larger crowd than we could have ever anticipated, which was great for our local businesses. We’re anticipating an even better turnout this year.”
Other Main Street Pascagoula entities winning MMSA awards in 2024: The Blind Butcher Shoppe for Outstanding New Business and Richard Chenoweth for Main Street Revitalization Champion.
“The Blind Butcher Shoppe isn’t just an average meat market,” read the MMSA awards script, of the business Justin and Brianne Mixon opened late last year in a redeveloped building. “It’s seen as a symbol of success and community revitalization.”
Chenoweth established Scranton’s Restaurant in 1982 in an historic 1920s building that once housed Pascagoula’s firehouse and city hall. Three years ago, Scranton’s became the city’s first building to add apartments above the restaurant. He also owns The Grand Magnolia Ballroom & Suites, a bed and breakfast and event venue, located in a home built in 1894.
“We love Mr. Richard,” said Northrop. “He invested in Pascagoula when many people didn’t see the potential.”
When she moved to Pascagoula four years ago, Northrop tried to rent an apartment above a downtown law firm. “It was the only option (downtown), and there were maybe 10 people on a waiting list in front of me. Now we have nearly 80 residential units in the Flagship District, and they’re all so nice,” she said.
The two-story Hotel Whiskey is the newest completed project downtown, with Uncle Joe’s Pizza and Wings located on the ground floor. Construction is anticipated to begin on the second phase within the next year or two, which will house retail on the ground floor. The hotel also features long-term rentals.
The Main Street community experienced a major blow in 2005, when Hurricane Katrina barreled through the coast on Aug. 29.
“The Mississippi Main Street Association brought in a grant team that came up with the concept of Anchor Square,” said Northrop. “FEMA cottages the city purchased were arranged in a square on a piece of property the city owned, and they served as hubs for startup businesses. Most of those businesses have expanded. Zeal Boutique now has four locations and a wonderful online presence.”
Northrop pointed out that Main Street Pascagoula “is fortunate to have a great group of industry leaders, organizations, and city officials who have been collectively working together to make this progress happen.”
