HATTIESBURG, Miss. ( WHLT ) – Hattiesburg officials want to hear from residents on how to revitalize Broadway Drive.

Hattiesburg is looking to breathe new life into the Broadway Drive and West Pine Street corridor. Many of the buildings on the once-booming highway are now empty; the city wants to change that. The Hub City has launched the “Right Down Broadway” survey to get neighbors’ perspectives on what the once-busy area could look like.

Hattiesburg Mayor Toby Barker feels there is a tangible excitement about what could happen on Broadway Drive.

“You see the potential with places like Grin Coffee, and I think people are hungry to see more of that as particularly as you go from 49 to downtown,” Barker said.

The city recently hired a consultant to help build a plan to revitalize Broadway. They are also asking for neighbors to weigh in with the “Right Down Broadway” online survey. Andrea Saffle, Executive Director of Downtown Hattiesburg Association, is actively seeking community engagement.

“We want to hear what people that live here want. What type of businesses do you want? What do you want to see? How do you want the city to grow and develop? I think it’s hugely important that the citizens of Hattiesburg have a voice in that process,” Saffle said.

Officials hope revitalizing Broadway Drive will bring more visitors and residents to other parts of the city like Downtown Hattiesburg. Mayor Toby Barker says the upcoming Hall Avenue West Overpass will increase traffic in the area.

“Right now, you have traffic counts of around 14,000 cars per day on Broadway Drive. With the overpass opening at the end of the year, that’s expected to rise to at least 16,000,” Barker said.

Saffle believes that the revitalization will allow more than businesses to settle on Broadway Drive.

“We’re really hoping and looking for some mixed-use with apartments above, maybe some condominiums, that type of thing mixed in that area,” Saffle said. “That is just going to continue to pull more people in this direction.”

Mayor Barker says that even though there is no set timeline for the project, the Hub City will continue building a plan over the next year.

Thanks for signing up!

Watch for us in your inbox.

Subscribe Now

Daily News

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJTV.