Scranton’s owner has lofty goals for new downtown Pascagoula apartments

PASCAGOULA, Miss. (WLOX) - Downtown revitalization with an old school feel. That’s what a longtime Pascagoula restaurant owner is hoping a new building project will do for one area of the city.

Richard Chenoweth, hopes four loft apartments that are currently under construction will attract future tenants to the spot just above Scranton’s Restaurant, a business he’s owned for 39 years.

“What’s worked in other downtown areas is mixed use developments, especially residences, condos, and everything like that,” Chenoweth said. “Everybody has gotten together, the Chamber of Commerce, industries, everybody has come together with one goal and that is to revitalize this downtown.”

The building itself used to be the old fire station, and it was also the Civic Center.

“Once these residences get going you’ll have people down here 24 hours a day,” said Chenoweth. “Right now, everybody disappears at 5 p.m. except for those patronizing the Jazz Club, the Jury Room or Scranton’s.”

He hopes by next year the whole area will have transformed into a mixed-use area.

Copyright 2020 WLOX. All rights reserved.