Madison moving forward on City Hall
MADISON — The city will use a $750,000 grant to fund plans for renovating the old Madison-Ridgeland High School building to become the new home of City Hall.
During the Mayor and Board of Aldermen’s regular meeting on March 16, the board approved a request for project funding and a funding grant agreement for the 2020 Madison City Hall and Performing Arts Center Fund in the amount of $750,000.
“We are in the process of drawing plans for the renovation of the old school, which is the first school in the Madison County School District and we are converting it,” said Mary Hawkins-Butler, Madison mayor. “It is on our downtown square, and we are converting that for City Hall.”
Hawkins-Butler said the city has not yet determined how the current City Hall would be used once the project is complete.
The old high school building is located behind the school’s old gym building on Main Street which currently houses the city’s performing arts center.
“We have some wonderful plans to announce for the old gym later on, but we were awarded a grant that is funding the plans for both,” Hawkins-Butler said.
The new City Hall is part of Phase 1 of an overall development titled Madison at Main, that was unveiled in January 2020. Progress on the development slowed last year due in part to COVID-19.
The development of 17 acres of city property located at the intersection of Main Street and Highway 51 will include a mix of high-end condominiums, retail shops, a specialty food market and boutique hotel.
The newer and former Madison Station Elementary buildings were torn down last spring for the new development.
Madison at Main is one of a number of developments taking place in the heart of Madison. In 2019, The Village at Madison, an 18-acre development located off Main Street and Crawford Street was announced.
To date, the Half Shell Oyster House has been built and opened while construction on 37 houses and nine townhouses is underway.
Also under development is The Magnolia District, a 71,000 square-foot development in central downtown Madison that will feature luxury retail, fine dining and professional office space. The Magnolia District will be adjacent to the Madison at Main development.