Newest Fondren locale expects to draw the masses
The latest in additions to Jackson's Fondren area has opened as a gathering place for events and just hanging out with family and friends.
Fondren Yard is the newest part of a more expansive development as local developers David Pharr and Jason Watkins have made it their mission to change the face of the area.
After assembling an investor group for the $13 million development of the revived historic Capri Theatre, Highball Lanes, and The Pearl Tiki Bar in 2022, that team followed in 2023 with The Station, a vintage gas station-turned indoor-outdoor craft pizza joint and bar.
Now Pharr and Watkins have produced Fondren Yard as an outdoor feature for the neighborhood and surrounding businesses now known as “The Block.” Fondren Yard will serve as "Downtown Fondren’s green space," located between The Station and the $20 million, 500-space parking garage expected to open this fall.
"This has long been part of the ultimate idea for the area to complete a general entertainment area for the neighborhood," Watkins said. "Working on the garage project has been a catalyst for that. It is meant to be this common space area for the neighborhood to come and enjoy many of the things you can do in your back yard."
The Yard also boasts a covered 18-foot, stadium-like, jumbotron screen that can show movies or any type of television event such as sports. The venue kicked off the use of the giant screen recently with Game 4 of the NBA Finals.
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Watkins and Pharr envision packed houses during college football season as they intend to show Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Southern Miss and SEC football for locals to watch while they grab a pizza and a beer.
"We are going to do a lot of programming to make this a fun public space," Watkins said. "We will have regular movie nights that will be free to the public. Just come out and enjoy a movie under the stars."
Throughout the day, friends and family can gather with lawn games, shaded lounge areas and free entry for all. On special occasions, the space will transform into a live music venue.
“After Fondren’s last green space was filled in just a few years ago, we wanted to bring an outdoor gathering space back to the community with the added elements of live music and a giant screen for watch parties,” Watkins said. “It’s the ultimate picnic in the park with space for parents to relax, kids to roam and friends to come for a great time.”
It is continuing to show games and hosted parties for College World Series. It also hosted a concert last week as Oxford-based Mustache The Band was on hand.
There are watch parties this week for USA matches of the Copa Americana Soccer tournament.
Fondren Yard can also be rented as a setting for private events and parties with customizable menus, entertainment options and more. It will be open Tuesday – Sunday from 11 a.m. to midnight.
The Block
The Yard is just the latest success for Watkins and Pharr behind the rest of The Block.
"It started with a kernel of doing the bowling alley and the theater and it has expanded to more and more opportunities that aren't specifically connected," Watkins said. "The idea is that all of these things come into one cohesive unit that present a real entertainment destination for the neighborhood and the city in general."
He said the term "The Block" is a way of labeling the area for people to understand there isn't just one thing in Fondren.
"You can come and grab five different things or more in one given night," Pharr said. "The clearest example of how we have seen that work is that people may come to bowl and there may not be any lanes available, so then they remember there is an outdoor pizza place or the movies might be a possibility. But it all really grew out of the fact that we were trying to figure out what to do with the old theater building."
So, to help make the theater work, they developed the other properties around it to drive more traffic.
"To get and advantage or to make theater work was to offer extra experiences like full-service dining," Pharr said. "But there wasn't kitchen at The Capri. That led us to building the bowling alley with a full kitchen. Now, full-services at theaters is a trend across the country. So, we feel like we were ahead of the curve."
The Yard is just the latest add-on to the area and one that Watkins and Pharr believe will drive even more traffic to the area and make this economic engine of Jackson even more successful.
Ross Reily can be reached by email at rreily@gannett.com or 601-573-2952. You can follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter @GreenOkra1.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Fondren Yard opens as latest entertainment venue in Jackson MS
