The City of Meridian is planning to revitalize the Eighth Street area, Mayor Percy Bland announced on Wednesday.

One phase of the project involves paving 45th Avenue from around Eighth Street to near Highland Park, which will take place this summer, Bland said during a news conference. 

In another phase of the project, the city plans to pave 8th Street from the McDonald’s restaurant at College Park to the Temple Theater dowtown. Willie Simmons, Central Commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Transportation, said the state will work with the city on the upgrades.

“We are going to work … with the officials to make you (Meridian) a shining star as far as infrastructure,” he said.

Bland said he and Simmons hope that the projects will lead to economic development in the city. 

“Commissioner Simmons shares my vision that with targeted infrastructure projects, combining both local, state and federal resources, that we can create something much larger than a road project, that we can spur development and also provide better quality of life for all of our citizens,” Bland said.

Julia Norman, who works in government affairs for the city, said the city could receive funding from MDOT and possibly from the federal government for the 8th Street area projects.

Additionally, MDOT is planning to make improvements to Highway 19 from North Hills Street to Interstate 20, said Neil Patterson, the district engineer for MDOT District 5.

MDOT also plans to widen the lanes and upgrade the lights on I-20 in Meridian, Simmons and Patterson said. That project is expected to start this summer, Patterson said.