Improvements Continue At Leigh Mall In Columbus

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Major paving improvements continue Monday in the Leigh Mall parking lot.

Ninety percent of the mall’s parking lot is being paved.

City officials identified 51 pot holes and worked with mall management to address the issue.

Work on the parking lot will go in three phases over the next year. The first is underway now.

Zoning Administrator Kenneth Wiegel says, “Well, you know, the city was receiving numerous complaints, ever-increasing complaints, and some of the potholes were quite large, and several people have complained about dropping off in the potholes with their vehicles and were afraid of damage from the pothole.”

I’ve actually been working with Leigh Mall here for several years and trying to improve the situation at the mall, not only with the parking lot, but some infrastructure they have here. I met in April of this year with the new owner and new management team, and at that time, they made a commitment to do some improvements on the mall,” adds Ward 6 Councilman Bill Gavin.

Columbus officials says the first phase of the project is costing the company that owns the mall $225,000 dollars.

The city cannot work on private property.

Security National Properties tells city officials the mall has been taken off the real estate market, and it plans to invest more money in the facility.