Our family has been excited about the renovation of the Threefoot Building. We are very disappointed to learn that HRI plans to pull out of the project without the support of our mayor.

Meridian could be so much more than it is, but it must have enthusiasm, vision and leadership. The potholes will be with us always. The opportunity to have a company the caliber of HRI and their investors believe in this project is truly is a once in a lifetime opportunity, especially in this present economic state.

The citizens with whom I have discussed this issue are extremely misinformed. They believe that we will have to come up with 14 million dollars. The truth is that we will only have to do that if the project completely fails after a period of years. We have to do something with the building. Tearing it down or repairing the building will prove extremely expensive and the money spent will never generate revenue. As it is we will have to come up with 1 million dollars if we do not proceed with HRI.

Four of our six children have chosen to come back to Meridian to raise their families. Quite a few of their friends have chosen to come back to Meridian as well. We will never grow if we do not stretch a bit, seize opportunities as they arise, and most importantly—BELIEVE IN OURSELVES.

Meridian used to be the largest city in the state. We are well situated with several interstates intersecting our city. We have long runways at our airport; we are a major medical center for east Mississippi and west Alabama. The Naval Air Station provides a steady influx of young dynamic individuals who share their varied experiences and talents with our community.

There is no reason that our downtown could not become a magnet for conventions. We desperately need a banquet hall which could seat 500 for lunch or dinner. I would have rented such a hall for all of my girls’ weddings if a hall like that would have been available.

The Cochran center used to handle the charity balls and other large events. The renovated opera house is a wonderful addition to our community but it is still not large enough to handle a seated dinner of four or five hundred.

A hotel in the Threefoot Building would be unique and an attraction in itself. I believe that we could attract conventions and weekend jaunts to attend the events at the Opera House. Restaurants would follow in the downtown area to accommodate the visitors.

We could capitalize on our country music heritage and come up with a unique venue highlighting local talent and professional talent from Mississippi. We would only need to energize the Jimmy Rogers Festival.

There is a town in Georgia (Helen, Ga.) that was “dying.” They decided to team up with a town in Germany and create a “German-themed” town. It is now a major tourist attraction and the town is thriving! But it took guts and vision! Meridian will never grow if we do not have vision.

Lakeland, Fla., hosts an annual Airshow every April. We have the runways, the Naval Air Station for support and the aviation heritage. Just a few events of that caliber would add millions of badly needed tax dollars to our city.

We love Meridian. We never believed that we would settle here, but it was the wonderful people of Meridian who sold us on a vision for our life in 1975. We can grow. We can support a project like the Threefoot Building. We need someone to lead us towards a Meridian which will grow and which believes in itself. The money which could be generated in a Meridian which is the product of vision would more than pay for the potholes, the schools, the police force and every other need.

Citizens, please believe! We need your support or we may become another dried-up southern city. Don’t let that happen to the Queen City!



Respectfully,

Dr. Jim and Sherry Purdy

Meridian