Silo Square to celebrate 5th anniversary with SILObration event

Article courtesy of DeSoto Times Tribune.

Lexie Hill Grisanti can’t believe that it has been five years since they first broke ground on Silo Square. In April 2018, about 75 people gathered under a tent near an old concrete farm silo which the development drew its name from to celebrate the start of an ambitious $200 million, 228-acre mixed use development that would change the direction of Southaven forever.

Developer Brian Hill’s vision was to transform the property into shops, restaurants, hotels and loft apartments around a Main street lined with two and three story buildings similar to Oxford and Collierville where people could live, work, and play. 

Five years later, Silo Square is close to full build-out and home to boutique stores like Dappled, Magnolia House and Norton’s, unique places to get coffee and breakfast like Beans & Leaves and Staks Kitchen, new restaurants such as Georgia Blue, Rotolo’s Craft & Crust, and Firebirds Wood Fired Grill, as well as a 94-room Fairfield by Marriott hotel.

“I don’t know if it has flown by or not,” Grisanti said. “It has just been really fun and exactly what we envisioned.”

Southaven Mayor Darren Musselwhite said the city had long wanted to create a walkable entertainment district, something similar to Overton Square in Memphis. Little did he know that Brian Hill had a similar vision.

“Years ago without knowing it, he and I shared a vision of creating a walkable entertainment district,” Musselwhite said. “My vision was something similar to Overton Square in Memphis and I actually recruited developers to make something like this happen at Getwell and Nail with the name “Snowden Square”.  Our city had no walkable business and residential community like this and we both knew the importance.”

Musselwhite said Hill and his team have done an incredible job of making Silo Square a success and ties in perfectly with the city;s investment in Snowden Park and the pedestrian trails.

“What Brian and his team have created has exceeded what I imagined,” Musselwhite said. “This development pays financial dividends to everyone in Southaven as it provides a wonderful shopping and dining experience to our citizens, but then is also a tremendous tourism draw with sports and concerts just across the road.  Tax revenue generated here provides amenities everywhere in Southaven.”

Grisanti said Silo Square has succeeded in bringing new excitement and new growth possibilities to Southaven, which did not grow up around a traditional town square design.

“Silo Square has brought a lot of things to Southaven that it didn’t have as far as shopping, entertainment, and dining,” Grisanti said. 

Silo Square was named Best Commercial Development in Mississippi in 2022 by the Mississippi Home Builders Association. 

To celebrate the success and the five year anniversary of Silo Square, the development will be hosting a SILObration on Saturday, Oct. 4 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. full of kids activities, shopping promotions, giveaways, and live music. 

Grisanti said they will kick things off at 9 a.m. with “Off the Bar,” an outdoor workout class hosted by Jane’s Gym. From 10-12 there will be face panting followed by free balloon animals from 12-2 p.m. 

“There will be things going on there all day. And that whole time we will be having giveaways,” Grisanti said. “Anyone that spends $55 at any of the Silo Square businesses will get some limited edition Silo Square merchandise, give cards, and  various other giveaways.”

The evening will conclude with live music from Truck Patch Revival from 6-8 p.m. at the Bell Tower.

“They are pretty popular in DeSoto County,” Grisanti said. “They play at Lucky Dog, 10th Inning, and at the courthouse square in Hernando.”

Grisanti said there will be lots of shopping opportunities as well.

“Some of the businesses will have other activities that the are doing at their businesses throughout the day to celebrate as well,” Grisanti said. 

Grisanti said SILObration is their way of saying thank you to the community for supporting the businesses there over the last five years.

“Without their embrace of Silo Square and their continued support, we wouldn’t be where we are,” Grisanti said. “So we just want to celebrate and thank everyone for being a part of this, to everyone who has shopped and dined and invested in businesses here. We are so thankful how the community has embraced Silo Square.”

Grisanti said the businesses and restaurants that have chosen to open in Silo Square are outstanding and there are even more to come. Silo Square will soon welcome South Point Grocery to the mix and the opening of another restaurant, Belly Acres. 

“We have a business announcement on the Square that we have not made yet,” Grisanti said. “They will hopefully be opening before the end of the year. Belly Acres will open their doors soon. So there are still a lot of exciting things going on here.”