Two Lakes is Alive and Well says developer McGowan
For more information contact:
Two Lakes For Mississippi Foundation
P.O.Box 55809
Jackson, MS 39296
601.987.1039
“The Two Lakes Plan is not dead and never was,” John McGowan said today. McGowan is chairman of the Two Lakes for Mississippi Foundation and spoke in response to claims by some Rankin County politicians that the project was finished.
Two Lakes is a comprehensive project that will provide flood control, spur economic development along the Pearl River and improve recreational opportunities that can make Jackson and the tri-county area a true destination.
“Contrary to the claims made by those who oppose the plan, we are moving ahead with a project that will drastically reduce flooding in the area,” he added. McGowan went on to say that so far 30 of the 87 property owners are participating in an effort to find private financing arrangement for the landowners. The Hinds County Board of Supervisors also strongly supports the Two Lakes Plan. The only plan yet offered as a replacement for Two Lakes, improperly called a lake plan, will only provide marginal flood protection for downtown Jackson. In reality this is a levees-only scheme, offering no meaningful recreational or economic advantages. Further, even the U.S. Corps of Engineers says that it is inferior to the Two Lakes Plan as a flood-control measure.
“It’s this simple,” said McGowan, “Our taxpayers can blow hundreds of millions of dollars on an illegitimate boondoggle, or they can participate in a privately run venture that will provide jobs, tax revenue, recreation, and which will cost the same as the plan Levee Board’s proposes.
A recent editorial in the Northside Sun noted that the Corps of Engineers envisions paying $3,576 to clear one acre of land. McGowan’s real-world estimate is $1,000.
John McGowan, an oilman and native of Jackson, has foresworn any personal gain from Two Lakes. “I just want to do something for the city and the state,” he said.
Please log on to our website for more information. www.twolakesms.com or contact Robert Muller at 601.987.1039, 601.982.3444 or at twolakesms@mcgowanwp.com