Liz and Bill Brister have bought, renovated and sold eight houses in the Fondren North neighborhood where they live.
They hope their next project will kick off with an eight-unit townhouse development constructed from the ground up at the corner of North State Street and East Northside Drive.
The Jackson City Council on Feb. 28 approved rezoning the property at 4562 N. State St. where the Bristers plan to construct two-bedroom, two-bath townhouses with parking underneath. The council approved rezoning the property, which is three parcels, from R-1A (Single-Family) Residential District to NMU-1 (Neighborhood) Mixed-Use District.
Liz Brister works for Entergy, and her husband, Bill Brister, is an assistant professor of finance at Millsaps College. The couple flips houses as part of their Design4Good business.
One of the parcels of land on North State Street was acquired during a delinquent property tax sale.
“I had my eye on it, hoping I could get the other parcels,” Liz Brister said. “It had become blighted property.”
A dental clinic was once located on the property but the house that held it has been demolished. The property is across the street from Triangle Mart, which contains tenants such as Citi Trends clothing store and Rent-A-Center.
The Bristers plan to spend the next year finalizing details on the project, which is estimated to cost $2 million and securing financing.
“Now that the city council has approved the rezoning, we will take this year to figure out the costs and the plan for construction,” Liz Brister said.
Duvall Decker Architects in Jackson has created preliminary plans for the development, which would feature a mid-century vibe, be fenced, pet friendly and include amenities such as a rooftop space overlooking a green space.
A goal for the project is to put a new face on the northwest residential boundary for Fondren. “I live in that area and I want to inspire my neighbors and give us all encouragement that we can be in control of our destiny,” said Liz Brister.
The Bristers have flipped houses in their neighborhood since 2017-2018 after Liz Brister grew concerned that numerous out of state corporations were buying houses and turning them into rentals.
“When you try to reach out to the out-of-state corporations, it’s really challenging,” she said. “I felt like my neighborhood was not for sale. We’ve been an active neighborhood, working hard to keep it vibrant.”
The Bristers have acquired most of the houses they have rehabbed with help from neighbors, she said, noting that she considers herself first and foremost a champion of her community and leaves design work and construction to members of the Design4Good team.
“I want to encourage others to invest in their neighborhood,” she said. “Nobody loves a neighborhood like the people who live in it.”
Buying, renovating and selling houses has been more of a labor of love than a moneymaker but also a learning experience, she said.
“I’ve learned one person can make a difference,” she said. “Our property values have gone up in our neighborhood, and I have some great new neighbors. I see change, positive change.”
Liz Brister said she is inspired by David Culpepper, a professor of accounting at Millsaps College and a leader in the ELSEWorks entrepreneurial program in the Else School of Management at Millsaps that has focused on revitalizing the Midtown neighborhood in Jackson.
Also encouraging are plans by PraCon Global Investment Group to redevelop Meadowbrook Mart Shopping Center at 3153 Meadowbrook Road, which includes a former McRae’s Department Store, into lofts.
PraCon plans to present the project to the community during a town hall meeting on March 16 at 6 p.m. at its office at 3220 N. State St., which is at the corner of North State Street and Patton Avenue.
The Jackson City Planning Board has scheduled a public hearing about the application on March 23 at 1:30 p.m. in the Andrew Jackson Conference Room of the Warren A. Hood Building, 200 S. President St.
“My efforts are small but I think small things lead to bigger things,” Liz Brister said. “We as a neighborhood have been positioning ourselves as ready for change in the Meadowbrook corridor.”
