The Greater Starkville Development Partnership has its eyes toward the future heading into the new year.
GSDP President and CEO Scott Maynard said the GSDP aims to keep the momentum of 2017 going into 2018 through the completion of construction on new developments and businesses, including the new Mugshots Bar and Grill and Gondoliers Italian Restaurant and Pizza near The Mill, as well as Humble Taco on the corner of Jackson Street and Highway 182.
"Seeing the expansion of the new industrial park as it takes shape during 2018 is also an exciting time," Maynard said.
Maynard said he hopes to see even more new developments come to Starkville in the new year.
"2017 was great,” Maynard said. “We just hope to keep that momentum going."
GSDP Director of Tourism Jennifer Prather said growing partnerships throughout the community, including with Mississippi State University, is a goal for 2018.
"I think you're going to see significant emphasis put on partnerships that can really thrust everybody into success," Prather said. "You're looking at the school system with the partnership school, obviously we're going to see it break ground this year, and that's such an exciting development for the community and take consolidation efforts to a whole new level."
Prather said another goal of partnering with MSU is growing Starkville's workforce.
"We want to improve the retention of young professionals to live in Starkville, so we can continue to grow a strong work force," Prather said.
Prather said another goal for 2018 is to expand tourism and find ways to bring people into Starkville year-round, and not just on game-day weekends, which can also be done by continued cooperation with MSU.
"From a tourism perspective, we're putting a really strong emphasis on year-round tourism," Prather said. "We've done a really good job capitalizing on our athletic audience, but we want to work with MSU to better promote all the museums and galleries to draw people here other times of the year as well."