Community celebrates grand opening of The Mill at MSU

Contact: Jim Laird

STARKVILLE, Miss.--Campus and community came together again today [Oct. 19] to celebrate the completion of a $40-million economic development project in “Mississippi’s College Town.”

A standing-room only crowd of several hundred joined university leaders, elected officials and the development team to celebrate the official grand opening of The Mill at Mississippi State University.

At the podium, MSU President Mark E. Keenum reiterated that what is good for Starkville and Oktibbeha County is good for Mississippi State University and vice-versa.

“This is a win-win-win,” he said.

The morning ceremony in The Mill’s ballroom was the culmination of a multi-year, collaborative effort by public and private stakeholders to preserve the best of the National Register of Historic Places-listed mill while creating new economic opportunities.

“All of this occurred because of partnerships and relationships,” Keenum said.

Mississippi State’s chief executive thanked local, state and federal officials for their commitment to the project, including Gov. Phil Bryant, Congressman Gregg Harper and Starkville Mayor Parker Wiseman, who participated in the program.

Transformation of the historic John M. Stone Cotton Mill — formerly known as Mississippi State’s E.E. Cooley Building — into a state-of-the-art conference and meeting complex began in earnest with a March 2014 groundbreaking.

Building tenants, including MSU’s National Strategic Planning and Analysis Research Center, began moving into The Mill in August this year, and the conference center has hosted multiple events since then.

In addition to a tri-level, 450-space parking garage, the 10.89-acre site at the corner of Russell Street and Highway 12 features a 73,975-square-foot office and conference center with a 1,000-seat ballroom in the renovated Cooley Building, formerly home of the university’s physical plant. The Class A office space on the second floor includes exposed wood beams and columns, open spaces and abundant natural light.

The adjacent Courtyard by Marriott Hotel adjoining the complex is expected to open at the end of the month.

David Shaw recalled how he became part of The Mill’s story: “This is the first project Dr. Keenum handed me.”

Shaw became vice president for research and economic development at the land-grant institution in 2009, and has been working to move The Mill project forward since then.

“This journey took several years, but today it stands as a perfect example of the impact the nation’s leading universities can have in the communities they serve,” he said.

Mark Castleberry of Castle Properties and Peachtree Hotel Group led development of The Mill at MSU.

“The Mill is one of the most significant economic development projects our university has been involved with, and I cannot imagine a better partner for it than Mark and his team,” Shaw said.

Additionally, Dale Partners provided architectural services, and Copeland & Johns Inc. served as construction manager. The National Parks Service, the Mississippi Department of Archives and History and the Mississippi Development Authority have been integrally involved in the project.

Out of its 113-year-old history and transformative renovation, The Mill is now a “21st century economic asset that will pay dividends for decades to come,” Shaw said.

At the conclusion of the program, Keenum took shears used in the building when it was an operating cotton mill to cut the ceremonial ribbon — signifying the official opening and forever linking the building’s unique history with a bright future.

Learn more about The Mill at MSU at themillatmsu.com.

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.