Final approval was given Monday by the Vicksburg Board of Mayor and Aldermen to allow the Vicksburg Main Street Program to move its executive offices to Washington Street on a temporary basis. 

The board had already signed off on Main Street’s move in principal on Nov. 25. Monday’s approval was for the specific lease agreement with building owners of 1309 Washington St., Marianne Floyd and Gina Pugh, who also own and operate Sweet Beginnings next door at 1311 Washington St. The Main Street Program board of directors approved the move last week at a special called meeting.

Main Street will be back on Washington Street until renovations are completed on the three-story Levee Street Depot, where the downtown economic development group has agreed to move along with the Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau and a transportation museum. The renovations are expected to take at least 18 months to complete.

Main Street is a nonprofit entity that organizes and sponsors downtown events, and is an advocate for downtown tourism, residents and businesses. It is funded through memberships and a special downtown tax on commercial properties. The two-person staff has been looking for a permanent home since the 2006 collapse of a Clay Street building near its former office.

“Since the building collapse it’s been pretty tough on Main Street operating out of here,” said South Ward Alderman Sid Beauman. “They need to be downtown.”

The 12-month lease at 1309 Washington St., formerly home to Chocolate Derby, calls for a $650 monthly rent including utilities. The lease is effective immediately, and it will become a month-to-month agreement after 12 months. Mayor Paul Winfield stressed the move and additional rent expense were included in the fiscal year budget that began Oct. 1. Total allocations to Main Street in the budget are $141,567, an increase of about $3,500 from last year.

“We had some misunderstandings about how this thing is going to be funded,” the mayor said. “These funds are going to be coming from their budget. This is a budgeted amount that was included in the budget process for them.”

Main Street Program Executive Director Kim Hopkins has said the move will begin immediately and the offices on Washington Street should be open for business after the first of the year.

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Contact Steve Sanoski at ssanoski@vicksburgpost.com