HEIDELBERG — Things are growing in this Jasper County town and the results can be seen in site work being done near Interstate 59.

Developers anticipate that a hotel and strip mall will be built in the Town of Heidelberg within the next year.

Donna Ali, a managing partner for Khalifah Hotel LLC, said the company is working to open the town’s first hotel.

“There’s a dynamic five-acre commercial development coming to Heidelberg known as Jasper Square,” Ali said Monday. “When completed, Jasper Square will be the shining light for all of Jasper County. It will provide the cornerstone for economic revival and stabilization for the area.”

Ali said Jasper Square will consist of a 51-room hotel, strip mall, and several outparcel lots primed for restaurants or other commercial outlets.

She said the development will also produce many new jobs which will equate to more spiraling upward economic growth for the city and county.

“We are always working to attract people to Heidelberg,” said Heidelberg mayor Juan Barnett said. “We are constantly working to get more jobs and economic developments here.”

In the latter part of last year, crews for Mississippi Power Company worked in the Heidelberg/Sandersville area for several weeks in an effort to upgrade the electrical services.

Cindy Duvall, spokesperson for Mississippi Power Company, said a new substation was being constructed on County Road 235 in Heidelberg.

Duvall said the upgrade was a sign of progress in the area and the substation “was considered an expansion for Mississippi Power Company.”

Ali said the hotel — which will be a Guest House International — will be the first structure built in the Jasper Square project.

“There has already been a great deal of land preparation at the southwest quadrant of the intersection of Interstate I-59 and State Highway 528,” she said. “Khalifah Hotel LLC and Khalifah Enterprises LLC, the developing companies, give much appreciation and recognition to all of the government officials and entities that have been instrumental in fostering the progress of this project.”

Ali said Barnett inspired her and her partners to locate in Heidelberg.

“Special recognition and gratitude must be given to Mayor Juan Barnett for having the vision and foresight in the initial planning stages,” Ali said, adding that Barnett made them aware of the economic development available in this Jasper County town.

“His undeniable love for Heidelberg and Jasper County has ignited his quest and mission to bring marketable economic viability and stability to the area. Persistence and dedication are probably not strong enough words to characterize Mayor Barnett’s enthusiasm and consistency in pursuing the completion of Jasper Square,” she said. “In spite of the ‘red tape’ and delays that typically plague developments of this size, Mayor Barnett has been extremely optimistic.”

Ali said “several local officials have been instrumental in the project, including Barnett; Jasper County Supervisor Curtis Gray; Haskins Montgomery, director of Jasper County Economic Development District; and Rusty McMillan, director of the Mid-Mississippi Development District, have all been strategic partners in furthering progress in this development.”

The hotel is just one of the projects that will be done by her company in the developing area.

“The site work for the hotel is nearing completion. So, we are looking at about 60 days before we begin construction,” Ali said. “Once we start, we anticipate the construction process to take about six months.”

Ali said developers anticipate the hotel and strip mall to be up and operating in about 14 months.

Barnett said the area has a lot of economic development and progress on the horizon.

“Things are progressing here,” the mayor said. “We just encourage everyone to come and visit the great Town of Heidelberg.”