The mayor and Board of Aldermen of Southaven voted to proceed with condemnation for 7515 Highway 51 — the Highway Baptist Church site — under Mississippi Code 21-19-11, and to table consideration of 938 Main Street (the former Checkers property) until a January 6 meeting to allow interior inspection and remediation planning.

Cynthia Minor Thompson Saint John, who said she has been affiliated with Highway Baptist since childhood, urged the board to allow time and help for repairs. “I have been at Highway Baptist since I was 8 years old… This is not okay,” she said, describing the building’s murals, congregation history and repeated efforts to secure assistance.

City staff, the fire marshal and the chief building official told the board the buildings present obvious health and structural hazards. Fire Marshal Tim said inspections dating back to 2007 culminated in a 2023 unsafe-building designation and abatement referral after teams observed water damage, roof collapse in parts of the school building and mold. Chief building official James Gentry said visible rafters and water-soaked structural elements make the sanctuary unsafe and that repair costs would likely be “hundreds of thousands of dollars,” though he declined to provide a firm estimate without an engineering assessment.

Mayor: “We’ve been asking for 10 years”
The mayor told residents the city had repeatedly asked property representatives to remediate code violations over the last eight to 10 years and that the structure’s current condition now presents immediate danger. The mayor said city staff will cooperate with church representatives to allow removal of historically meaningful items but reiterated the city’s obligation to protect public safety: “The time is up,” he said, noting the history of enforcement and inspection reports.

Checkers tenant: willing to remediate but constrained by lease
Robert Bass of Phelps Dunbar, representing the tenant Checkers, told the board Checkers is the lessee through June 30, 2026, that a franchisee’s unauthorized closure left the site vacant, and that the company is willing to undertake remediation efforts short of demolition. Staff and counsel discussed securing trustee cooperation (the Chatham Family Trust was named as the owner) and obtaining interior access so building officials can make a final recommendation.

Vote and next steps
Alderman Gallagher moved to proceed with condemnation for item A (7515 Highway 51) and to table item B (938 Main Street) until the January 6 meeting to allow interior inspections by fire and building officials and for the parties to present remediation plans. The motion was seconded and carried by roll call.

By tabling the Checkers site, the board left open the possibility of remediation short of demolition if the owner/lessee promptly enables interior access and a viable remediation plan is produced. The board directed staff to coordinate access and return with a formal recommendation at the January 6 meeting.