Workers call it a day after putting some final touches on the new Belk department store, the major anchor of Oxford Galleria, in early March.

Just as Spring was about ready to make its presence known, Oxford was welcoming the latest in a line of new developments that is both the bane and hope of the city.

Oxford Galleria, located next to Home Depot off Jackson Ave. West, welcomed the opening of its major anchor tenant, Belk, in March. Thousands of shoppers in the community and vicinity are thrilled to see this store come, but it is also one more sign those who feel Oxford may be permanently losing its small-town atmosphere may be correct.

Other businesses new to the Oxford retail and commercial landscape joining or planning to join Oxford Galleria include Maurice’s, Rack Room Shoes, Rue 21, and Kinnucan’s Outdoors. A Sleep Inn is being built on the site, and at least two freestanding restaurants are in the works for the property, being developed by Memphis-based Trezevant Realty. Hibbett’s Sporting Goods, Newk’s, Mimosa, Nagoya, High Point coffee, Smoothie Cafe, Wing Fanatic and a Mexican restaurant are just a few of the other tenants in the massive shopping center.

And if Trezevant hadn’t already invested enough in the area – the company also developed The Oxford Marketplace, next to the Wal-Mart Supercenter – the company has also released site plans for what it is billing as Oxford Crossing. And talk about dreaming big. The plans, which can be viewed online by going to www.trezevantrealty.com/retail/oxfordcrossing.html, show a development that would include Target, TJ Maxx, JC Penney, a grocery store, a new hospital, several outparcel restaurants, and more. While the likelihood of Target coming to the area is very slim, the fact that anyone would even propose such a development is more proof that Oxford – or at least West Oxford – is putting aside its small town attitude and moving to capture many of the retail dollars that have long been lost to Tupelo and Memphis.

Tie this retail expansion to the annexation in late 2006 – which took effect in early 2007 – that boosted the city’s population to around 20,000 and added five square miles to the city’s boundaries, and evidence is everywhere that Oxford has rapidly become one of the 20 largest cities in the state.

Economically, communities just don’t get much stronger than Oxford. One organization that gauges such growth recently named Oxford and Lafayette County the 14th strongest “micropolitan” community in the United States. That’s 14th out of 573 cities of between 10,000 and 50,000 population across the country.

The city’s strong growth has been a two-edged sword, though, as some of Oxford’s history and charm have been lost to new development. A new comprehensive plan was introduced in 2004 to stem the tide of development and help area leaders control the inevitable growth. While the plan can’t put a halt to the growth – it was not designed to stifle the economy – it will pull the reigns on developments in and around the city that might otherwise erase the mystique that life-long Oxonians love.

Commerce, Health Care & Education
Lafayette County’s economic picture is looking better now after having taken a beating in the manufacturing sector earlier this decade. Numerous plant closings between 2000 and 2002 wiped out some 800 jobs – a major portion of the county’s manufacturing base. Those losses have been eased somewhat by increases in jobs at already established businesses in and around Oxford, along with at least one major new manufacturer entering the scene.

The restoration and renovation of the Lafayette County Courthouse, around which the historic Oxford Square is built, continues, as see in this photo from earlier this year.

Whirlpool has expanded in 2004, adding about 150 jobs during. And Winchester Ammunition took over the former Emerson plant in the industrial park, adding another 150 jobs. A tornado in February 2007 destroyed or heavily damaged several buildings and factories in the park including the Caterpillar plant, but plans are for those businesses to rebuild. And city and county leaders are hard at work trying to lure suppliers to the new Toyota manufacturing facility being built near Tupelo.

Oxford and Lafayette County enjoy a healthy and growing retail economy. The presence of the state’s third-largest university has a lot to do with boosting the region’s fortunes, of course. But it’s also a fact that a region doesn’t maintain this kind of economic growth without the presence of a strong healthcare system and a good retail and service business base. Oxford has both.

Baptist Memorial Hospital North Mississippi, a 204-bed acute care facility, has grown to become a regional health care provider, with more than 70 physicians on staff covering more than 30 specialties. Baptist provides Level One and Level Two care in its nurseries, houses a sleep disorders center and offers services in medical oncology, neurosurgery and pulmonology.

It almost goes without saying, too, that Oxford and Lafayette County residents enjoy an outstanding array of educational opportunities. The University of Mississippi has called the area home since its founding in 1848. Ole Miss offers bachelors, masters and doctorate degrees in numerous courses. Those wanting to study on the community college level first can do so in town, too. Northwest Mississippi Community College offers courses in Oxford at its Belk Drive campus. Oxford and Lafayette County also have some of the best high and elementary schools in the state. For more information on the schools in and around Oxford, see the “Necessary Numbers” section in the magazine.

Moving all the new residents around town to and from Ole Miss and the retail sectors is quite a challenge for the existing roadways. West Jackson Avenue was expanded to five lanes in 2004, and Gertrude Ford Boulevard opened about the same time. In 2007, new roundabouts were built around the interchange at Lamar Boulevard and Highway 6, easing traffic congestion. The interchange at Hwy. 7 and Hwy. 6 also received upgrades in the way of additional lanes on the on ramp from Hwy. 6 East to Hwy. 7, and through traffic lights. Still more work needs to be done, though, and one of the city’s most urgent tasks is completely overhauling the Hwy. 6/West Jackson Ave. intersection, making it an interchange. But this will require a huge amount of money, the work of the state Department of Transportation, and more time for study.

Bike paths have also been added around town, and city leaders also hope to complete a walking bridge along Old Taylor Road over Hwy. 6.

Attractions
What does an Oxford resident or an Ole Miss student do for fun or entertainment? That’s almost too big a question to be answered in this small space.

Major improvements are under way at Lamar Park, off Old Sardis Road in North Oxford. The $1.5 million project, being done in phases, is seeing the major upgrade of many of the park’s facilities, the addition of new picnic areas, a new walking trail, an outdoor classroom, and 268 new trees, as detailed in the master plan map, shown above. Completion is slated for September. For more information on the project, go online to www.oxfordms.net/recent/lamarparkproject.htm.

The Square has become one of Oxford’s primary destinations for students, residents and tourists alike. Great food, books, clothing and more can be found all around the city’s Courthouse Square. Recognizing the city center’s value, a combination of private donations and public funds will be used to relocate utility lines underground in and around the square, furthering its beauty and appeal.

In the fall, one thing is on everyone’s mind around here: football. A new head football coach, Houston Nutt, has raised the hopes of Rebel fans hungry for the team’s first winning season in five years. Nutt is a proven winner, having fielded successful teams at SEC foe Arkansas for a decade. In the winter basketball rules the campus, while spring brings out Rebel baseball, another program that has gained and generated a lot of attention the past few years. Coach Mike Bianco has built a top-notch baseball program which was ranked Number 2 in the country at the start of the 2008 season.

The University is a never-ending wellspring of things to do, offering everything from prominent guest speakers to conferences and sporting events. One of those events is the annual Faulkner and Yoknapatawpha Conference. The popular literary event includes six days of lectures and discussions by scholars and dramatic readings from the works of William Faulkner. The writer’s home, Rowan Oak, is also a popular spot as visitors get a glimpse of where one of the South’s most famous residents laid his hat.

And, though it’s not Oxford’s only celebration, the annual Oxford Double Decker Arts Festival has become one of the city’s premier events. The festival is a celebration of music, food and arts on Oxford’s historic square.

For nightlife and fine dining, all one has to do is head for the Square. Establishments such as Proud Larry’s, Old Venice Pizza Company, and City Grocery are among the most recognizable spots in the Downtown area for great food, live music and great times. Oxford also boasts a host of night clubs throughout the city.

All these things combine to make Oxford one of the most dynamic small towns in America.