Along with the arrival of the first day of spring earlier this week also come signs of renewed economic development around the community.

     Those signs of life can be seen in both building work and retail activity. Renewed vitality is evident downtown and elsewhere in the city.

     On Brookway Boulevard, a new retail center that was nearly vacant while it was mired in bankruptcy proceedings for a few years will soon be home to several new businesses. First Choice Rental Purchase Store and Los Parilleros Mexican Restaurant will be opening local establishments in Brookhaven Plaza while First Heritage Credit is relocating there from downtown. The new tenants will be joining existing business Snap Fitness.

     Across the street, vehicles filled the parking lot of the new Little Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse that opened in the former Bo Bo Chinese Restaurant. Earlier, Bo Bo moved west on the boulevard into the location that once housed a Shoney’s Restaurant.

     Residential development also appears to be picking up a bit. We’ve noticed a number of home renovations and other work getting under way around the city.

     On Monday, Region 8 and community leaders will celebrate the dedication of the mental health services provider’s new facility on Highway 51. The multi-million dollar center will allow Region 8 to expand its local services, with more employees also expected to be added over the next year.

     Downtown Brookhaven will soon see a nurse testing service open in the former Lott Furniture building. The relocation of Hurst Testing Service will allow office activities to be housed under one roof and will bring the hiring of more employees once the business gets settled into its new home.

      A children’s clothing store and an interior design business, located in the same building on Chickasaw Street, are among the newest businesses to open in downtown. They join a new restaurant in The Inez, a hotel/apartment development and other small businesses that have recently joined the downtown landscape.

     A secondary benefit of businesses like restaurants and clothing stores is found in the sales tax they can generate, a portion of which comes back to the city to help leaders meet community needs. Brookhaven has seen some good news in that area, as well.

     The most recent sales tax report showed Brookhaven’s sales tax collections up almost $33,000 this state fiscal year compared to the same point last year.

     Much of that, about $25,000, was seen in the most recent February report, which represented sales made in January. That the source of the revenue increase was recent, and not earlier in the year, bodes well for the future.

     Looking further into the future, it is possible a new interstate could be coming through Lincoln County.

     The Federal Highway Administration recently released a report identifying possible routes for a new interstate from Augusta, Ga., to Natchez. Four of the five proposed routes would come by Brookhaven, either on Interstate 55 or Highway 84.

     Funding and support for the project are still major unknowns, so obviously any interstate work is not in the immediate future. Still, just talking about a new interstate allows one to ponder the pleasant possibilities a new thoroughfare could bring.

     For now, local leaders and citizens can appreciate the business activity and other development currently under way in the community. Such work only seems to make the spring sun shine a little brighter.