JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – If you visit the former Golf World property along North State Street, you’ll see overgrown weeds, busted windows and trash on the ground, but that wasn’t always the case case.

The building was once full of fun, family-friendly entertainment.

“It’s been deteriorating over the years, and now it looks like this,” said Timothy White, president of Youth Outreach Company.

Ward 3 councilor Kenneth Stokes says the growing number of derelict properties should no longer be tolerated in the capital.

“Are we going to allow this community to become a slum without a fight? I say no. If we’ve already spent millions here, then we’re going to force these property owners to do the right thing and take care of their property,” Stokes said.

In recent years, many businesses have left Jackson, leaving children to seek entertainment in surrounding towns.

“We had tried to go to a fun town, and she said we couldn’t go, that only specific people could go on Friday, and I was disappointed because we had to go all the way from home to far away,” Nyla Gray said.

Rather than the city demolishing the property, community leaders would like to see it repurposed.

“Kids will have activities to come play, keep them from going out on the street, keep them from burglarizing your car, burglarizing your house and doing fun and educational activities here,” White said.

“The city of Jackson should open this up to the children of this city. The city of Jackson should allow people, young children, to hit baseballs. Why do we have to go to surrounding towns for our children to have fun? Stokes said.

Community leaders plan to contact the owner on Monday.

One of the Jackson City Council’s current efforts to address these types of properties is the creation of a Blighted Properties Task Force.

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