< Previoushe costs of poor population health — including diabetes, obesity and other conditions — can negatively influence economic development and workforce outcomes. But in Mississippi, these costs are sparking action and even new real estate development.Among his other titles, Joseph C. Canizaro is the founder, president and CEO of Columbus Properties; a trustee and former chairman of the Urban Land Institute; and a founder and co-chairman of the Committee for a Better New Orleans, where among his crowning achievements is the Canal Place development. In an interview, he says his company’s Medical City at Tradition development near his hometown of Biloxi was driven precisely by his home state’s perennial low rankings, specifically in diabetes prevalence. The request for his involvement came straight from Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant. “His mother died from it, and I have Type 2,” Canizaro says. “Health care has always been an interest of mine.”The Tradition development started when Canizaro bought a large parcel with the sole motivation of giving back to his home state in the form of a retail shopping destination. Now, as new medical and nursing schools and other amenities open up, it’s gradually becoming a place where people can shop for better health.“I’m here to help the quality of life of all of our people,” says the native Mississippian whose grandfather MEDICAL CITY AT TRADITION IS PART OF AN EFFORT TO DO NOTHING LESS THAN REJUVENATE THE PEOPLE OF MISSISSIPPI — AND BEYOND.by A DA M B R U N STThe ‘Rebuilding Czar’ Comes HomeH E AL TH C A R E68 MI S S I S S I P P I D E V E L O P M E N T G UI D EPHOTO: GETTY IMAGES70 MI S S I S S I P P I D E V E L O P M E N T G UI D Elanded in Vicksburg, “and if we can cure diabetes, we’ll help millions if not hundreds of millions.”CLUSTER IN PROGRESSYears in the making, the development includes the 650-acre Tradition Town Center and is strategically located 10 minutes north of Biloxi, Gulfport and Interstate 10, at the intersection of major four-lane Highways 67 and 605 in the Gulf Coast’s growth corridor. The overall project moved slowly for a while (the land purchase having taken place just before Hurricane Katrina in 2005). But recent months have seen the pace pick up dramatically.The Bryant Center School of Nursing & Simulation Lab opened at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in June 2018 with 800nursing students and 27 jobs at a 50,000-sq.-ft. facility. The School of Pharmacy at William Carey University has 192 students and has created 34 new jobs. In 2017, Gov. Bryant announced that the U.S. Department of the Treasury had issued a $1-million grant award for accreditation support for the William Carey University School of Pharmacy. The award is part of the RESTORE program, established after the BP oil spill and overseen by the Department of Environmental Quality.A recent study by Arduin, Laffer, and Moore Econometrics, the University of Southern Mississippi and Southern Mississippi Planning and Development District forecasts the economic impact of several known future developments in the master-planned community, including the National Diabetes and Obesity Research Institute (NDORI) affiliated with Cleveland Clinic, Gulfport Memorial Clinic, and Coastal Family Health Clinic (CFHC).Digging into the data and using the successful master-planned development of Lake Nona in Florida as a model, they found that projects already underway have resulted in more than $110 million invested, another $148 million in additional economic impact, $101 million in wages and the creation of more than 2,700 jobs.“Two obvious areas to stem from the knowledge concentration would be a focus on the biopharma and medical device industries,” the authors of the study wrote, noting the ideal fit between the WCU School of Pharmacy, the planned facilities at NDORI and the intensive medical device and insulin needs of diabetes patients. “The potential for innovation and overall impact that could result from the specialization of the area is extremely high,” they wrote. “The potential for spin-off industries is high because of the many ways to approach the fight against diabetes. Not only will the Medical City possibly attract pharmaceutical and medical device companies, but there are possibilities for new diabetes focused culinary programs or lifestyle products that help patients cope with the disease to come to the area as well.”Ryan Lopiccolo, executive vice president of Columbus Properties and Joe Canizaro’s grandson says those lifestyle aspects indeed point to “I’m here to help the quality of life of all of our people, and if we can cure diabetes, we’ll help millions if not hundreds of millions.”— Joseph C. Canizaro, FOUNDER, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF COLUMBUS PROPERTIES, MISSISSIPPI NATIVE AND THE DEVELOPER BEHIND THE MEDICAL CITY AT TRADITION NEAR BILOXI“I’m here to help the quality of life of all of our people, Potential Economic Impact of Tradition Medical City:M I S S I S S I P P I D E V E L O P M E N T G U I D E 71medical tourism potential down the road at the 4,000-acre location adjacent to the DeSoto National Forest. “Yes, we’re working on having people come here to get healthy, get well, and maybe even stay,” he says. One aspect is a 922-acre parcel being developed into an active adult community — one more focused on healthy lifestyles than on mid-afternoon happy hours.Lopiccolo says the support from Governor Bryant, the Mississippi Development Authority and county and city governments has been tremendous.“The community has really gotten behind us. In fact, we are looking to raise a bit of money for some of these special projects from the state using some economic development funds, and the state’s economic developers have been fantastic, connecting us to companies like C-Spire, which will bring us gigabit internet, and getting the roads put in, including Tradition Parkway. It’s been a great relationship with state and local government.”ALL INLopiccolo says since Governor Bryant came to Canizaro and said, “Hey, I want off this list” of poor-health states, the momentum has really picked up, even if the challenge is daunting. “How do you cure diabetes with raw land?” he asks. “That gave us direction with Tradition and the Medical City.” And that direction is getting the support it needs.“At the governor’s summit on health care as an economic driver, we had leaders from a bunch of big companies in Mississippi say how much the health and well-being of their employees affects their productivity, costs and overall culture,” he says, “and how big an issue it is. If we can turn that around — and there are lots of ways to do that — we can become an economic driver down here in the South, as well as make people healthier and happier.”The corporate support is evident in the names of the buildings: The pharmacy school building is named Sanderson Hall in honor of Joe Frank Sanderson Jr., CEO and chairman of the board at poultry giant Sanderson Farms. Scianna Hall is named for businessman and philanthropist Charles “Chuck” Scianna, a Gulf Coast native who is president and co-founder of Sim-Tex, a leading supplier of oil tubular goods to the oil and gas industry.At full build-out, the 4,800-acre town will have more than 15,000 residential units, two million square feet of commercial development, and 35,000 residents. That sort of potential was part of the equation driving the economic impact study authors to a powerful conclusion that’s essentially the antidote to the $3.5billion that obesity and diabetes are said to cost Mississippi annually. 72 MI S S I S S I P P I D E V E L O P M E N T G UI D EM USE U M SM I S S I S S I P P I D E V E L O P M E N T G U I D E 73ocated in the heart of downtown Jackson, two new museums explore the state’s history — from its earliest Native American territories to the Civil Rights Movement.The two museums, both located under the same roof, are housed in a 200,000-square-foot complex with more than 22,000 historical artifacts. The Museum of Mississippi History explores the state’s 15,000-year history, from its earliest inhabitants to the present day, while the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum focuses on the period between 1945 and 1976.The Civil Rights Museum has been described as “vast, engaging and traumatizing” as it tells the story of the Southern State’s often tragic history — including the story of Emmet Till, a 14-year-old African American boy who was brutally murdered and whose death sharpened the resolve of those behind the movement in 1955. Museum construction began in December 2013 and was completed in the fall of 2015. The museums were finally opened on Dec. 9, 2017, as the centerpiece of the state’s bicentennial celebration. Since opening, the number of visitors to the museums has exceeded expectations with more than 185,000 people touring the exhibits. The Mississippi State Legislature provided most of the funding for the museums, with visitor fees and private donations supplementing the operation of the facilities. The legislature also provided $90million for construction while some $20 million was raised privately for exhibits and endowment.Several companies with a long-time presence in Mississippi made substantial donations to MDAH for the project. AT&T contributed $250,000toward the construction, while New Orleans-based Entergy (which also operates out of Jackson) provided hundreds of free tickets to visitors of the museums. by S AVA N NA H K I NGLOne Mississippi, Two New MuseumsDelta Blues Museum in ClarksdalePHOTO COURTESY VISIT MISSISSIPPI74 MI S S I S S I P P I D E V E L O P M E N T G UI D EToyota Motor North America made a $750,000 contribution for the Mississippi Department of Archives and History’s Two Mississippi Museum Project. Toyota’s manufacturing facility will showcase traveling exhibits from the museums over the next three years. The company’s plant in Blue Springs builds the Corolla and employs nearly 2,000 people. “We are excited to partner with the museums to educate future generations about a critical time in Mississippi’s history,” said Adrienne Trimble, general manager, diversity and inclusion at Toyota Motor North America. “We thought that this donation would be an excellent way to mark our ten-year anniversary in the state, contributing to something we care deeply about and that can make a lasting impact with our youth and the community.”Nissan, too, donated $500,000to the Mississippi Department of Archives and History to help support the construction and exhibits at the new museums. The company has made charitable contributions of more than $11 million in the state since it began operations at its Nissan Vehicle Assembly Plant in Canton in 2003. “This project seeks to tell the full story of Mississippi’s past while also magnifying hopes for the future,” said Jeffrey Webster, director of Diversity and Inclusion for Nissan North America. “This contribution continues Nissan’s commitment to diversity, education, and service in our community.”MIGHTY MISSISSIPPI MUSICMississippi is known as the Birthplace of America’s Music and with good reason. It’s where The King of Rock and Roll was born after all. Elvis Presley’s hometown of Tupelo showcases the megastars humble roots at the Elvis Presley Center which includes the two-room house where he was born. The museum averages nearly 4,000visitors each month. Music lovers would be remiss without touring some of the state’s best music museums, like the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center in Indianola. The museum, which opened in 2008, takes visitors through exhibits with thousands of rare Blues-music artifacts and showcases the Mississippi Delta’s rich cultural heritage. In Cleveland, visitors to the Grammy Museum can browse various exhibits that showcase American Music through the years. And in Meridian, the new Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience gives visitors the opportunity to explore the interactive museum as it explores the state’s legacy in the arts, from music to literature and beyond.Across the state, museums help tell the story of the state’s rich and dynamic history and weave together context and personal narratives. From the first settlers to Elvis Presley’s legendary hip swivel, Mississippi’s museums offer something for everyone. Mississippi Museum of Art in JacksonPHOTO COURTESY VISIT MISSISSIPPI76 MI S S I S S I P P I D E V E L O P M E N T G UI D Ehe Magnolia State is a haven of hospitality. The people of Mississippi are often described as the kind of folks who would do anything to help a stranger. Friendly faces greet strangers on the sidewalk with a smile and people hold doors open for one another.In 2018, U.S. News & World Report ranked Mississippi No. 6 in its quality of life report. The ranking measures aspects like air and water quality as well as social support and community involvement. (For contrast, California ranked dead last.) Mississippi also ranks No. 1 nationally for having the lowest cost of living. According to Zillow, the median home value in the state is $124,600. The state also offers quality education and health care across the state. Scenic beauty abounds in the Magnolia State — from centuries-old oaks dripping with Spanish moss to early morning fog rolling along the banks of the Mighty Mississippi. “The state makes it a point to preserve and protect its beautiful natural resources. Mississippi is one of just 10 states east of the Mississippi River to achieve the EPA’s ozone standard, according to the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality.NORTH TO SOUTH From the salty breeze blowing in from the Gulf Coast to the warm summer sun, Mississippi offers its nearly 3 million residents a lifestyle that simply can’t be found anywhere else. Larger cities like the capital, by S AVA N NA H K I NGTSouthern HospitalityQ U A L I T Y O F L I F EGood Old-Fashioned PHOTO BY SHAY LA’VEEM I S S I S S I P P I D E V E L O P M E N T G U I D E 77Jackson, offer abundant amenities and events. Jackson has long been called “The City with Soul” for its storied history all the way from the Civil War to the Civil Rights movement. These days Jackson’s charm and character is poured into its growing craft beer and spirits scene at popular businesses like Lucky Town Brewery and Cathead Distillery. More than 40 historical sites are scattered across the state. As the birthplace of Elvis Presley and ground zero of the Civil Rights movement, the Magnolia State’s historical and cultural assets are as unique as they are personal. As one of the oldest cities on the Mississippi River, Natchez is one such city. In the 1850s, Natchez had the most millionaires per capita. That wealth was virtually wiped away after the Civil War, but the historic homes of that bygone era are still lining the streets today and many have been turned into bed and breakfasts or are open for tours. The 444-mile Natchez Trace trail which ends in Nashville is a mecca for cyclists. Lonely Planet named Natchez the No. 2 place on its 10 Best Destinations in America.Music lovers flock to the state to take a ride along the Mississippi Blues Trail. Historical markers along the trail take visitors to the places where blues artists performed and perfected the moody genre. The sites are varied from humble homes to street corners and cotton fields to clubs, churches, and cemeteries. Another popular tour is The Mississippi Freedom Trail which showcases 15 historical sites from the Civil Rights Movement. One of the trendiest communities in the state is Oxford. Home to the University of Mississippi and some 18,000 students every year, the area in Northern Mississippi is flush with shopping, dining, and entertainment. But it isn’t just college kids in the region. Retirees flock to the state to the take advantage of its affordable cost of living, low taxes, safety, high-quality health care, and of course, its southern hospitality. Retirees living in Mississippi also enjoy more money since the state doesn’t tax pensions. In Central Mississippi, even small communities like Brandon (23,000 pop.) offer an amazing quality of life. Brandon consistently ranks among Mississippi’s top 10 cities to live in. Meridian (39,000 pop.) is another smaller city steeped in history, culture and natural beauty. The Mississippi Gulf Coast’s 62 miles of scenic shoreline is a hotspot for tourism. Residents and tourists alike fill the stands of MGM Park to watch South Mississippi’s minor league team the Biloxi Shuckers. The eight first-class casino resorts in Biloxi and several others in Bay of St. Louis and Gulf Port provide non-stop gaming, championship golf courses, and top-performing musical acts. No matter where you choose to locate your business, the Magnolia state’s unique character creates the perfect recipe for an amazing quality of life. Live blues at Levon’s Bar & Grill, ClarkdalePHOTO COURTESY OF VISIT MISSISSIPPINext >