What City Hall has in mind for the Oak Street corridor will be explained at a Nov. 10 public hearing.

Monday, Mayor Laurence Leyens said a planning project for 400 or more private tracts along the Mississippi River between the Vicksburg Convention Center and DiamondJacks Casino has been under way.

&#8220This neighborhood has not gotten much attention in the last 50 years, and we believe it’s some of the most valuable real estate” in the city, Leyens said.

The plan is called the South Washington Street and Waterfront Area Redevelopment Plan Urban Renewal Project. It does not, at this time, involve a large commitment of public funds.

In urban renewal projects, such as that under way in the Washington Street corridor starting in 2002, Vicksburg has used a state law to buy blighted private property for resale to developers.

Only two properties, a car wash at the northeast corner of Belmont and Washington streets and a pink trailer on Oak Street, are identified for acquisition by the city, Leyens said of the pending plan prepared by Jimmy G. Gouras Urban Planning Consultants Inc.

The emphasis is on private redevelopment with improvements to public spaces and code enforcement.

In addition to the hearing, the plan for each property is to be run with its photograph on the city’s cable television station, TV23, Leyens said. The entire plan is also to be placed on file with the city clerk’s office.

&#8220We very much want the community to participate,” in the public hearing, Leyens said, adding that based on comments from that meeting &#8220we will adjust the plan accordingly.”

The area is mixed use with commercial, industrial, single-family and multi-family properties. Some of the city’s largest antebellum mansions are in the area as are a rail yard and many dilapidated frame homes.

A project in the area has been discussed by the board since at least early this year.

On Oct. 3, when the board set in motion the process of issuing up to $16.9 million in bonds, it became clear the redevelopment would not be funded with more than a fraction of the $5 million spent in Washington Street redevelopment.

Of the total, about $5 million, expected to be repaid with federal funds, will replace the rail overpass at Clark Street.

Most of the remainder will go to a new softball park south of Hamilton Heights subdivision and street projects.

Also Monday, North Ward Alderman Michael Mayfield said he had scheduled a meeting for 6 p.m. Thursday at City Hall, with top city officials such as Police Chief Tommy Moffett, Strategic Planner Paul Rogers, Director of Buildings and Inspections Victor Gray-Lewis and NRoute Director Evelyn Bumpers in attendance and available to take questions from residents citywide.

In other business, the board: