Oct. 4: Local and state officials and area business leaders gathered in Meridian Saturday at the future site of the Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Center for a groundbreaking for the public-private facility.

    The groundbreaking was the culmination of a decade-long effort to build a world-class museum in Meridian.

    At the groundbreaking, officials announced that the exhibition space that will feature Mississippi artists in film, literature, music, arts, dance, theater and visual arts has been rebranded the Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience.

    MAEE Executive Director Marty Gamblin said the work has only started.

    “It’s been a long ride, a long journey, but we don’t look behind,” Gamblin said.

    “… This was probably the easiest part — sticking the shovel in the ground. Now we have to determine what is going to be in this facility and that’s the challenge – to do it right.”

    East Mississippi Business Development Corporation Chairman and the MAEE’s architect, Bob Luke, said the target date to open the $45 million facility is November 2017.

    “We have a window of 18 to 24 months for construction,” Luke said. “Yates (out of Philadelphia) is the construction manager. We feel it will be completed by November 2017. That is a very important date because it is the bicentennial of Mississippi’s statehood. It’s never been celebrated, but it will be a great day when this Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience opens to celebrate it.”

    Several state officials were on hand, as was Cybelle Jones, Principal of Gallagher & Associates in Washington, D.C., which is the design firm hired for the project. Jones’ group designed the renowned World War II Museum in New Orleans, the B.B. King Museum in Indianola and the Grammy Awards Museum in Los Angeles.

    “I have done museums for 28 years from all around the world but the Meridian Arts and Entertainment Experience has a special place in my heart,” Jones said. “I was in London last week for a memorial at the King Albert Museum and I kept telling people there I was working on this project and about all the artists that come from Mississippi and they were just blown away.

    “This won’t be a traditional museum. The Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience is going to be totally immersive, media driven, hands-on, interactive. It will be an invigorating experience for visitors. What is so special about Mississippi is going to come out. The Mississippi story about these artists is what this experience will be about. Their photography, their paintings, their songs, their theater, will come to life in a different way.”

    Once completed, the two-story, 58,500 square foot facility is expected to draw between 125,000 to 150,000 visitors to downtown Meridian a year. City and state officials agree it will be a magnet that will help Meridian grow and serve as a gateway to the rest of the state.

    “There is such an excitement over this, you could feel it in the room,” U.S. House Rep. Gregg Harper. R-Miss., said. “It is something really special. This is not just for Meridian but for the entire state to give people around the world an opportunity to see the influence Mississippi has had on the arts whether it is music, literature, or artists of all stripes.This is a remarkable state that has influenced the arts and this will showcase it.”

    Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves was among the speakers at the groundbreaking.

    “While this is located in Meridian and east Mississippi, this is a Mississippi project,” Reeves said. “It is going to be fantastic for all of the state. The biggest challenge we have in Mississippi is in economic development and tourism. It’s convincing people to come here once. If they come here once they tend to like what they see. It’s going to be a venue that people from all over the world can come here and then go to other places in Mississippi like the Delta and learn about B.B. King or go to Tupelo and learn about Elvis Presley. It is fantastic opportunity for Mississippi.”

    Mississippi Development Authority Deputy Director Mike McGrevey said the MAEE will be a economic driver for Meridian.

    “Clearly this is a catalyst for economic development and its going to serve as  an important part of the infrastructure in terms of being a magnet to bringing in additional industry,” McGrevey said.

    Saturday’s event was gratifying for MAEE Board President Tommy Dulaney. A business owner in Meridian for 40 years with Structural Steel Services, Dulaney feels the center will do wonders for Meridian.

    “It was fabulous,” Dulaney said. “People got to see Cybelle’s presentation and what this thing is going to look like and that’s the important part. Certainly the experts have said we could have 185,000 visitors in the first year and then level out at 150,000. It’s going to fill up hotel rooms, restaurants and people will spend money here. Meridian will really get a benefit from it.”