WIGGINS — Downtown Wiggins is getting a new look, thanks to $50,000 in grants helping local businesses repair, repaint and revive storefronts. Leaders of the Stone County seat said upgrades are drawing more visitors and energy to the small city’s two-street business district.
The Downtown Wiggins Facade Grant Program was created by the Stone County Economic Partnership with support from the Mississippi Power Foundation. Grants operate on a 50-50 basis: Business owners cover half the cost, with the partnership reimbursing up to $5,000 per project.
How the program works
Layla Essary, executive director of the Stone County Economic Partnership, said applicants must be property owners or tenants operating businesses in downtown. Eligible improvements include washing, repainting and repairing exterior walls; replacing doors and windows; adding railings, ironwork and cornices; installing or repairing awnings, canopies and lighting; and making buildings more accessible for people with disabilities.
Garrett Parker, a local manager for Mississippi Power, said the idea for the program was inspired by a similar project in Picayune and has already changed the look of downtown.
“The downtown area looks a lot better than it did years ago, and it’s actually bringing … a lot of business to the downtown district,” Parker said.
According to the partnership, the program aims to encourage use of downtown buildings, stimulate local business growth, increase property values and improve the city’s appearance. Since launching in 2022, three rounds of funding have provided nearly $50,000 to 10 businesses, with more money available.
Local businesses, residents see results
Latricia Mimbs, owner of Post on Pine Irish Pub, received funds through the program in June 2024.
“The facade grant did all the painting on the outside, the mural and the window work,” Mimbs said.
Her total renovations cost $14,000, but only $9,000 came out of pocket. She said the improvements, along with the pub’s unique place as the county’s first, helped attract more patrons.
Although there is still work to be done, she said excitement is building about the area’s potential.
“A little boutique hotel with like a little cafe and the bottom would be so cute, and we could definitely use another little fast restaurant — you know, sandwiches, salads — that would be nice too,” Patterson said.
Building toward the future
It’s a vision shared by Mayor Darrell Berry, who said he wants downtown to become both a destination for travelers and a place where residents stay local for shopping and entertainment.
“Right now, our downtown district is only two streets, and my vision is to expand that to a couple of other streets at least — make it bigger,” he said. “We want more businesses downtown.”
Berry said being in between two major cities — Hattiesburg and Gulfport — brings more traffic through town, and many visitors are noticing the changes made in the past few years.
“We’re trying to build up the city, build our tax base, and of course infrastructure,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of old sewer lines, streets need paving — that’s more or less my long-term goal.”
Berry said the city’s small tax base typically makes securing funding a challenge. Many grants are structured with 80-20 matches, with municipalities covering 20%. Larger cities can manage those costs more easily, he said, but for Wiggins it often becomes a hurdle.
Still, he said the city is moving in the right direction, with businesses and groups like the Stone County Economic Partnership working together to support each other.
“They talk up for one another. If you’re looking for something to eat or whatever, they will actually send you to another business, and we love to shop at home,” Berry said. “We try to keep the money here.”