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Mayor urges action on deteriorating Highway Baptist Church property after fire marshal warnings
Summary
Southaven mayor and aldermen discussed code violations and safety hazards at the abandoned Highway Baptist Church and Academy property at Dorchester Drive and Highway 51 and asked the public and alumni to propose preservation or remediation steps; city officials said condemnation is a possible remedy if no private group steps forward.
Mayor and members of the Southaven Board of Aldermen spent an extended portion of the meeting discussing the deteriorating Highway Baptist Church and former academy at the corner of Dorchester Drive and Highway 51, citing repeated code violations and fire marshal findings that parts of the site are unsafe to enter.
The mayor said the property has “almost countless code enforcement violations” over several years and asked residents and former students to form a group to restore the site. “If Highway Baptist Church and Academy has value to you and you wanna step up and do something, it's time,” the mayor said.
The mayor and aldermen said city inspections show ongoing neglect. The mayor reported “20 code violations, 30 warnings in the last 3 years” and said one building’s roof is beginning to collapse and that the fire marshal has declared at least one structure unsafe to enter. He said the church’s membership list has not changed since October 1977 and that many trustees are likely deceased, leaving no active local administration to maintain the property.
Alderman Hoots, who represents Ward 2, said past offers by volunteers or inquiries about purchase did not progress because those in charge of the property refused help. “I’m like you, I’m kinda lost on what can be done other than having to take some kind of action,” Hoots said.
Board members discussed options including forming a local alumni committee, partnering with the DeSoto County Museum to preserve historical materials, and, as a last resort, using the city’s legal remedies to condemn or take control of the property. The mayor said the city is reluctant to condemn but will pursue remedies if no private group steps forward.
No formal motion or ordinance was proposed during the meeting; the mayor asked aldermen and the public to return with proposals. The mayor also emphasized the city’s track record of renovating historic or underused properties when feasible and said officials want to preserve history where possible while addressing public-safety hazards.
Ending: The mayor asked anyone with ties to Highway Baptist Church or the academy to contact city hall and present concrete plans; the board did not vote on condemnation or acquisition and took no formal action at the meeting.
