BROOKHAVEN — After working for 10 years in real estate, Preston Smith is opening his own brokerage company in Brookhaven. Southern Oaks RE Properties will be the next chapter for Smith, a graduate of West Feliciana High School and Southwest Mississippi Community College. 

He wrote a word of thanks to Stacy Sergent with Nickel Real Estate Group for her help during the last few days of transition in a Facebook post Tuesday. Southern Oaks will have an office at 119 South Jackson Street. 

Prestley Smith, Eli Ferguson, Valerie Ferguson, Blake Sasser, Tara Smith, Trinity Webb Smith, Travis Smith and Robert Smith are joining the team with Preston Smith. To contact the Southern Oaks Properties Office call 601-927-2942. 

Making progress

Brookway Boulevard is full of business projects right now. Starbucks began framing in front of Paul Barnett Nissan as a structure is starting to take shape. Speedee Cash once had a building there before it was torn down to make way for Starbucks. 

RiteAid’s parking lot is being resurfaced this week as TJ Maax and Five Below make renovations to the inside of the building. Those projects are starting to take shape as scaffolding outside of the former Rite-Aid looks poised to put up new signage. 

Likewise, custom soda shop Sipps received a new sign this week. Located at 333 West Cherokee St., the new sign was made by Titan Signs. There is not a specific update yet as to when the soda shop will open. One of the co-owners tragically died in August. 

Downtown Ice

Mississippi Ice, a frozen daiquiri shop, looks like it is coming together with plans to open in October. Friday afternoon a bucket of paint could be seen on a ladder and bar stools were neatly stacked on the counter. 

At this time, Mississippi Alcoholic Beverage Control has not issued a liquor permit for the frozen daiquiri shop. Mississippi Ice did pass a Mississippi Department of Health Inspection for new construction. 

Next door to Mississippi Ice, a new counseling service appears to have moved in. Ole Brook Counseling Services by Lacey Lopez has opened at 212 Whitworth in place of Ascend Counseling. Ascend is now located at 215 South Railroad Ave. and shares the space with Aspire and Erin King Counseling Services. 

More in-depth stories on these businesses will come in the next few weeks. If you have a business tip or story you would like to share, email hunter.cloud@dailyleader.com.