VCVB to open downtown visitor's center, office complex - The Vicksburg Post

VCVB to open downtown visitor’s center, office complex

Published 5:37 pm Thursday, May 8, 2025

: The VCVB's new visitor's center and office complex will be located at 1500 Washington St. (Blake Bell/The Vicksburg Post)

The Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau (VCVB) is opening a visitor’s center on Washington Street.

On Thursday, May 1, during the monthly VCVB board meeting, members voted to approve the purchase of 1500 Washington St., the Old JCPenney building, which will operate as a downtown visitor’s center and will also house VCVB offices.

Currently, the VCVB offices are located at 1619 Walnut St.

The decision to open a visitor’s center in a prominent location in Vicksburg’s downtown is aimed at providing easier access for visitors, which applies especially to riverboat passengers and conference attendees, VCVB Executive Director Laura Beth Strickland said.

“This allows us to have a downtown visitor center locally and centrally between the Vicksburg Convention Center, Vicksburg riverfront, and the main core of Washington Street,” she said.

The VCVB secured the Old JCPenney property for $1.1 million. This purchase price also consists of upgrades to the building, which include a visitor’s center, office and meeting space and ADA-approved restroom facilities.

Strickland said the purchase price was below the total appraisal cost. She did not specify which portion of the $1.1 million was for the building and which was for renovations.

“We had an inspector and professional appraiser come in, comps were done, and the price (of the purchase agreement) was below the appraisal cost,” she said, adding all of the information was obtained prior to the board’s approving to sign the purchase agreement.

Strickland said now that the board has approved a purchase agreement and $100,000 was put down as earnest money, the VCVB can move forward in purchasing the property by obtaining sealed bids from financial institutions and calculating construction costs. As of now, no institution has been chosen for financing the rest of the purchase.

Strickland said the 1619 Walnut St. property will be listed on the real estate market, and proceeds will go toward the downtown property purchase.

“The VCVB is proud to be investing and improving a historic property to showcase our city to people around the world,” VCVB Board of Directors Chairman Johnny Reynolds said.

Editor’s note: This story was updated May 9 with additional financial information regarding the VCVB announcement.

About Terri Cowart Frazier

Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of the Vicksburg Living Magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest’s editorial division for the “Best Feature Story.”

Terri graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

Prior to coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelancing at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay at home mom.

Terri is a member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a lifetime member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.

“From staying informed with local governmental issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and hope that with theirs and with local support, I will be able to continue to grow and hone in on my skills as I help share the stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people.’

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