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Construction to pick up next week; Lone Star is coming to Bloomfield

Published Marc 10, 2005.

Reprinted with permission of the Rankin Ledger

By Alfred Smith Jr.

asmithjr@rankinledger.com

Look for work to pick up at the Bass Pro Shops site early next week if weather permits, said Bert McKenzie, project manager for Yates Construction.

McKenzie said workers will be installing foundation piers under the site pad at the site just off I-20 west of the Tinseltown movie theater.

"These are footings and pilings that are installed underneath the ground to help support the columns," McKenzie said.

All the preconstruction has been in preparation for the work that is scheduled to begin next week, said J. Mark Smith, project executive for Yates.

McKenzie said workers are expected to lay out the concrete foundation within the next three weeks.

"We should see the building going vertical in early May," said Jason Voyles, project manager with Bloomfield Development. "A lot of foundation work has to be done first before that could take place."

Since the Aug. 18 groundbreaking, construction workers have developed the building pad for construction, begun to prepare for parking and installed the drainage system.

Pearl Mayor Jimmy Foster said all the agreements between the city, developers and Bass Pro have been signed and the bonds have been sold to cover construction.

"We're just waiting on Bass Pro to send the design plans," Foster said.

Bass Pro, a retail leader in the sale of hunting, fishing, camping and other outdoor sporting goods equipment, is slated to open in November 2005.

The store is part of a $55 million development that includes the $20 million Mississippi Braves baseball stadium, specialty retail shops, restaurants, hotels and a river walk.

Foster said there was never any doubt that the Bass Pro deal in Pearl was going to happen. "This is something that we have been working on for several years, and it's coming," he said.

In other development news, Lone Star Steakhouse and Saloon is coming to Pearl.

The nationwide restaurant chain, which will be located next to Ryan's Family Steakhouse on Riverwind Drive, is just one of a few new businesses coming to the Riverwind development.

Ruby Tuesday's opened a restaurant last month off Pearson Road in the east end of the development.

Frederick Renfree, interim executive director of the Pearl Chamber of Commerce, said the city welcomes the growth.

"It's great for the community and great for the development because with Bass Pro and the stadium coming, it's giving businesses more reasons to come to Pearl," Renfree said.