News plans unveiled for Burns Bottom area

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The Columbus Redevelopment Authority has a new tool to repurpose the Burns Bottom area.

City councilmen gave the organization the green light to start the eminent domain process, if necessary, to acquire some properties.

There are about 12 lots, most of them vacant, that have not been sold to CRA.

CRA President John Acker told WCBI it wants to remove blighted areas and enhance the tax base.

Ideally, the organization would get the area prepped for a developer to buy the land and create a residential development.

Acker said eminent domain may not be needed for every purchase but could be an option to move the four-year project along.