One Madison resident wants to bring ease and comfort to boat owners in Madison looking to enjoy time at the reservoir by adding convenience to the city’s only marina – The Marina@Lost Rabbit.
Caleb Cannon and his business partner Matt Mitchell bought the marina and marina owner’s association after Cannon struggled to find a space to get his boat in the water because all the existing boat slips were full. He said he is always up for a project, and this became quite the project. His vision of 40 covered boat slips that fit that architectural and aesthetic appeal of Lost Rabbit will be complete and ready to open on April 15 – after about a month and a half of construction.
Mitchell and Cannon took a marina tour of the Southeast before building their own marina because they wanted it to be unique and high quality.
“We bought the marina about two years ago, and it has been an uphill climb getting everything going but now that we (are ready),” Cannon said. “We have learned a lot in developing the marina. We wanted to build a really nice facility.”
The covered boat slips will be equipped with water, ice, and power for its customers, which will allow them to just show up, hop in the boat, and be ready to go.
“If you can get a boat on a lift in a covered slip at the marina, it makes everything so much easier,” Cannon said. “You could go out for 30 minutes or an hour without feeling like you have to spend your whole day out there by the time you drag your boat, load your towels, ice chest, sunscreen, and the kids. Then, you get to the boat ramp and wait in line. You feel like you have to be there all day when you go through all of that trouble. Here, you drive up, hop on your boat and you’re out in five minutes.”
Cannon said this accessibility and convenience allows for quick boat trips like a sunset cruise without all the hassle. Why Lost Rabbit for this space? Cannon said it is a fast-growing but underserved part of the lake.
“I’ve always been drawn to this area,” Cannon said. “It is a great place to live and is growing really fast. It is an underserved part of the lake. There is not a lot right here in the middle, but it is a beautiful part of the lake and a little bit more secluded.”
Cannon called Lost Rabbit a “well-kept secret” that is growing and developing right under people’s noses.
“If you live in Madison, this is the place to be,” Cannon said. “It is the fastest, easiest, and most convenient. There is not another marina like this in the Southeast.”
Only 10 boat slips are still available for lease out of the 40, but there are more to come. Cannon and Mitchell are planning several more phases of development in Lost Rabbit. There will be two more phases with 40 boat slips each, which will likely include larger slips for yacht-like boats. They will also begin building a fueling station soon as well.
“We are hoping for easy access in and out so people can just get their fuel and go,” Cannon said. “We are in the permitting process for that.”
The projects in the water aren’t the only developments going on in Lost Rabbit. Sam Everett occupies one of the waterfront condos and can see the growing boat slips out his window. He is currently planning to build a general store between the two condominium buildings along the water.
“The general store is more needed than a restaurant because there’s a bigger market for it,” Everett said. “The kids will be down here getting snacks and teas and ice cream, and we will have charge accounts so they can charge their mother’s credit card. When I moved into this neighborhood, there were 50 houses here. There are now over 200 residencies. So, Lost Rabbit has expanded to the point it will support this.”
Everett said his son and daughter-in-law live 300 yards up from him, and his daughter-in-law has sent down to his home for eggs, milk, sugar and more on various occasions. If not for having family nearby, it would take a 30 to 45 minute trip to Kroger for the ingredients.
“There will just be a big demand for the general store,” Everett said. “You can buy all the stuff (for the boat) over there in the general store when it comes. It will be a one stop deal. The kids are going to go through grabbing all sorts of stuff to get on the boat with you.”
Everett said he plans to get the permits in the next 30 days and have the store operating by September or early October.
Lost Rabbit was designed by Andrés Duany who also designed Seaside. He designs for it to be a self-sustaining place with restaurants, stores and the marina.
“It is designed to be like the little town I grew up in where you don’t worry if your kids are down here playing,” Everett said. “It is safe. There is one entrance in and one entrance out. Everybody feels comfortable walking their dogs and with their children. This is just a hidden gem. There is nothing else like it in the Jackson area.”
Everett said Lost Rabbit is designed for people to come under the Natchez Trace at 5 p.m. and stay there – not having to leave for anything.
“I think this is something that every big city needs without all of the bad things that are associated with the big city,” Everett said. “We are talking to someone about putting a wedding venue over here, a bar, and a small restaurant. This is just a family friendly place. I think the draw is peace, security, and familiarity.”
Cannon said Lost Rabbit has residential construction, the marina developments, and commercial ventures.
“We are all kind of friendly partners in this thing trying to get it off the ground, because it’s been so slow in developing,” Cannon said. “It has been a decade since really anything has been done.”
He said they are each taking it one project at a time.
“When we finish those, we will probably come together and figure the next thing out because there is so much potential down here,” Cannon said. “It needs to be utilized.”
