Renovation project breathing new life into Downtown Columbus

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – A project that’s breathing new life into an old hotel in Downtown Columbus is about 75% complete.

The years-long renovation kicked into high gear last year and will be a mixed-use space featuring 9 retail spaces on the ground floor and 18 apartments on the upper level.

With most of the structural work done, Chris Chain, who owns the building and is overseeing the renovations says they’re getting into the finish stage on interior work.

Holidays, COVID, and Material shortages have slowed work down, but things are getting back on track.

Chain says the development is going to be a showplace and will offer a variety of spaces for tenants.

“The small spaces are becoming more popular, if you can get a 500 – 600 square foot space, instead of a whole building downtown. Those are becoming a lot more popular. You’ve got a lot more, I guess, customers that can afford that type of thing. Plus, you can get more per square foot on a smaller space than you can a larger space,” said Chris Chain, President of Renovations of Mississippi, INC.

The building, which is just down 5th Street from the WCBI Studios was originally built as a hotel in 1905.