The Jackson City Council voted 5–1 to adopt an ordinance establishing an entertainment district and separately approved a leisure and recreation district for downtown areas, a planning move city officials say will unlock state tourism rebates and historic-tax-credit opportunities for property owners.

Planners and council supporters said the districts will help developers secure incentives for rehabilitating older downtown buildings. “When you are rehabbing a very old property in the city of Jackson, you need all the incentives you can get,” Council President said while thanking Planning Department staff and the mayor’s office for coordination.

Council discussion highlighted Martin’s and Palace venues. Council members and city staff recognized the investors, property owners and legal representatives present for their commitments to downtown reinvestment. “We really appreciate the fact that you are willing to put this kind of investment into our downtown,” the president said as representatives stood in the chamber.

Councilman Banks praised the work and noted the districts may help connect hotels and event venues to downtown attractions. City planning staff said their fast timeline and coordination with the Mississippi tourism rebate program and the National Register process were central to capturing available incentives for owners who plan renovations.

The entertainment-district ordinance passed 5–1; the leisure-and-recreation district passed unanimously. Officials said those votes followed prior introduction and work-session discussions and that final geographic boundaries and administrative details would be published with the ordinances.