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Entergy, JBHM, Duckworth Realty team up to make old lady shine: restoring Electric Building to original beauty is a privilege, say developers.

Article Excerpt
JACKSON -- Entergy Mississippi was poised to abandon the Electric Building in downtown after 73 years when the powers-that-be decided to go another route. In January, the corporation sent requests for proposals to 19 developers to purchase and renovate the historic landmark. Only two firms bid for the project--Duckworth Realty and Mississippi Management--by the deadline.

"We selected the Duckworth team because they would redevelop the building and allow us to lease back space," said Haley Fisackerly, vice president of customer operations for Entergy Mississippi. "We get to stay downtown. Jackson gets redevelopment and apartments in downtown Jackson. It's a win-win for everybody.'"

The Electric Building saga

In 1930, Entergy Mississippi, then known as Mississippi Power & Light, moved to the Lampton Building, located at the corner of West and Pearl streets in Jackson. In 1948, the company began leasing the entire facility, which became known as the Electric Building, then acquired and expanded it in 1968.

In the 1970s, the utility company housed 400 employees in the building. When Mississippi Power & Light merged with Entergy and many duplicated functions were consolidated, the number of Entergy employees dwindled to less than 100, mirroring what was happening in corporate America.

Earlier this month, Entergy announced plans to cut 1,000 jobs, primarily at its nuclear power plant division in Jackson, but the company said the reduction...

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