Another legal battle over the Jackson airport could be heating up, with the city of Jackson bringing on three firms to represent its interest in potential annexation cases.
Pearl and Flowood are planning to annex roughly 3,000 acres of Jackson property surrounding the Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers Airport.
The property is owned by Jackson but is not located within the airport proper, which is in Jackson’s corporate boundaries.
Any attempted annexation would not include the airport proper.
At its meeting last week, the Jackson City Council approved bringing on Carroll Warren & Parker PLLC, Stamps and Stamps, and Danks Miller & Cory to represent their interests in the cases.
The measure was approved unanimously, with council members voting on the matter in executive session.
“This is a possibility of a claim of annexation from one of our bordering suburbs. That’s about as far as I can go legally,” said Chief Administrative Officer Robert Blaine. “They’re trying to annex land from Jackson.”
The move comes as Jackson continues to fight the state’s attempt to take over the airport, which is now in federal court.
Ward One Councilman Ashby Foote said Flowood and Pearl were both considering annexing the land, so they could take the sales tax dollars from any future developments there.
“They want to annex it, so if it’s developed, they can get the tax,” Foote said. “They’re anticipating this before any development comes in.”
Flowood Mayor Gary Rhoads and Pearl Mayor Jake Windham couldn’t be reached for comment.
Jackson-Evers sits on about 3,800 acres in Rankin County. The property includes the airport proper, which is fenced off, as well as parcels surrounding the airport which are located in Flowood, Pearl, Brandon and unincorporated parts of the county.
The land is located between Lakeland Drive and Old Brandon road and is bordered by Airport Road to the west and the East Metro Parkway to the east.
It was not known how much each city was trying to annex.
The property is managed by the Jackson Municipal Airport Authority (JMAA).
Under Mississippi state statute, the authority has the ability to lease and improve the property on behalf of the city of Jackson.
The acreage has the potential to be some of the most valuable commercial property in the state.
In 2017, construction wrapped up on the East Metro Parkway, opening up hundreds of acres for development. Also, that year developers announced plans to build a new convention center and hotel on private property on Airport Road opposite the airport.
The hotel and convention center are currently under construction.
For its part, JMAA is stepping up efforts to market its property. Earlier this year, the agency was drawing up a land use plan for the site and told the Sun they were bringing on an independent consultant to help market it.
Motorists driving along Airport Road will notice a large sign saying JMAA land is available for lease.
Meanwhile, Jackson’s efforts to block the state takeover of the international airport continue.
The city has filed suit in U.S. District Court to block the implementation of SB 2161, which was passed by the Mississippi Legislature in 2016.
Under the measure, the state would dissolve the JMAA board and replace it with a regional board made up of appointees from the city of Jackson and other agencies.
JMAA members are currently appointed by the mayor and approved by the city council.
