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Potential Downtown Housing
Common Ground
Case Study #16: Downtown Amory, Mississippi
A Small Town Center Project
Upper level housing has been a successful stimulant for other down-
will be a point at which organizing efforts to provide serv- towns. An inventory of potential upper-level apartments with a propos-
ices to support the residents will be necessary.
al of needed improvements, parking, code needs, etc, could assist devel-
Many businesses find it re-assuring that with night-time opers looking at downtown Amory.
activity on Main Street, the downtown is active and thereis an increase in the need to have evening businesses; It is not against Amory City Ordinances to have upper- increasingly the street becomes more secure with a human level housing in the downtown area. There are numerous upper-level spaces that could be successfully made to In surveying Amory’s downtown we found twelve house apartments, (either rental or owner-occupied).
potential upper-level apartment locations. Two are cur- Many communities across the state, including Aberdeen rently used as apartments; two potentially could become exits, fire separations and other building code and There is a market of young professionals and retired Americans with Disabilities Act issues should be conduct- citizens who are interested in upper-level housing. These ed. Third, easily accessible and safe parking is a concern spaces offer affordable, attractive rental apartments to that must be considered. Fourth, an architectural feasibil- singles and some couples that don’t exist in the housing ity study of the existing structure, finishes, electrical, market. As each successful renovation is developed, there plumbing and mechanical systems should be conducted; Properties with upper-Level space for possible residential use.
1. Owner does not wish to have upper-level housing.
2. Currently used as apartment.
3. Could become an apartment in future.
4.Condition unknown. WHAT HAPPENS NOW?
Visit other communities that have successfully developed upper-
level housing: Aberdeen, Columbus, Oxford, Corinth, and West
Point. Also, see Case Study #34 which identifies upper-level hous-
ing in Aberdeen.
Join the Mississippi Main Street Association (MMSA), contact Bob
Wilson at 601.948.0404.
Contact the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH)
to understand the tax credits available: 601.359.6940.
Contact the Mississippi Chapter of the American Institute of
Architects (AIA/MS) for advice on identifying local architects avail-
able to assist: contact Kathy Jackson at 601.321.4622.
The Small Town Center (STC) is available to conduct preliminary sur-
veys, contact Shannon Criss at 662.325.2207.
Potential and Existing Upper-level Housing. along with this an architect can give a cost estimate forconstruction costs. And finally, an architectural proposal CREATE Common Ground was funded by CREATE Foundation, Tupelo, Mississippi.
should be developed that will give all details to a con- 1999 The Small Town Center, Mississippi State University. PO Box AQ Mississippi State, MS 39762 Phone 601 325-2207

Source: http://kubuildingtech.org/scriss/projects/create/amory/Case16/Amory16.pdf