Jackson Mayor John Horhn scraps Lumumba-era park plan at property linked to bribery case

A vacant stretch of concrete in Downtown Jackson once earmarked for a skate park, pickleball and volleyball courts, a community stage and other public amenities will no longer be developed as “The Pulse at Farish Street.”

Instead, Mayor John Horhn plans to tear up and improve the site — now a crumbling, weed-filled, make-shift parking lot across from the Jackson Convention Complex — and convert it to a functional, upgraded parking area for visitors to the convention center.

“We think there’s a better use for that property,” Horhn said in a phone interview Monday. “So our plans are to convert the funds that have been dedicated to The Pulse to the demolition, which is underway. Then we’ll come back with a parking opportunity for folks that are patronizing the convention center.”

The move represents a sharp pivot from a proposal made just months ago under former Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba and then-Planning and Development Director Jhai Keeton. That plan, unveiled in January, envisioned a three-phase development on the 7.75-acre site including a vendor park, pavilions, food truck space, and a leisure district with open-container alcohol rules. It came on the heels of a major federal bribery indictment tied to the site involving Lumumba, Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens and former Councilman Aaron Banks — all of whom pleaded not guilty to a combined 17 felony charges. A trial is set for July 13, 2026.

At the heart of the charges was a proposed convention center hotel that undercover FBI agents claimed they were interested in developing at the site. Federal prosecutors allege the three officials accepted illicit payments, favors and political contributions in exchange for helping advance the agents’ bogus real estate company and sway decisions at City Hall.

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The site — bordered by Pearl and Pascagoula streets — has sat largely unused since the Jackson Convention Complex opened in 2009. Since the Convention Complex’s debut, the lot has bounced from one development dream to another — first a hotel, then a leisure park, and now, a more modest facelift. The latest decision follows visible movement on the site in recent weeks, including a large pile of torn-up cement that suggested imminent construction.

The repaving project will require approval from the Jackson City Council, but Horhn said he’s confident he’ll have the votes needed.

“We’re going to have to get the City Council to agree to an amendment because they approved the Pulse project prior to us coming into office,” Horhn said. “But we don’t think it will be that difficult to achieve.”

The council had already approved $1.5 million for The Pulse, with an additional $600,000 slated from community development block grant funds. Originally, Lumumba and Keeton said the Pulse could generate $800,000 in its first year.

Dale Partners Architects PA, the firm originally hired to design The Pulse after council approval in February, may now have an uncertain future. The firm was under contract to develop plans for the project, but with Horhn’s decision to scrap The Pulse, it’s unclear what will happen next for Dale Partners and their involvement in future development.

Keeton, who led the project rollout under the Lumumba administration, is no longer the city’s planning director. Horhn recently announced that Von Anderson, who served as interim spokesman on Horhn’s transition team, has been named interim director of the planning department. As of this week, it’s unclear whether Keeton remains employed by the City of Jackson.

Contact Charlie Drape at cdrape@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Jackson MS Mayor Horhn scraps park project tied to Lumumba bribery case