With all of the above, it’s easy to see that Olive Branch is rooted in a collective lifestyle as diverse as its population. However, with this year-round activity comes a significant need for maintenance and expansion to support it. Hence, the city is currently in, as Mayor Adams describes it, a significant “building phase.” The investments are starting with a new $8 million Public Works facility, alongside a $3.1 million Animal Shelter, and the city’s sixth Fire Station, which carries a $6 million budget. Beyond essential services, the city is also heavily investing in recreational facilities, with an 18hole disc golf course nearing completion, six new pickleball courts and associated restrooms, four new international-sized soccer fields—bringing the total to nine—complete with concessions and over 400 new parking spaces. On the infrastructure front, Olive Branch is also undertaking extensive resurfacing of its roadways. “We’ve put down more asphalt in the last four years than we have in the last ten years,” Mayor Adams says to put things in perspective. Perhaps the most impactful project is the substantial sewer expansion, which began in 2021 with an initial estimate of $31 million and has now risen to $60 million. “We’re providing sewer and water to 18.8 miles of annexation that took place back in 2021. It was the largest annexation in Mississippi’s history. So, once that’s built out, that’ll secure our growth for the next two decades,” Mayor Adams confirms, explaining how the presence of sewer and water directly correlates with quality development. With Olive Branch currently the fifth-largest city in Mississippi by population and the third-largest geographically, at over 56 square miles, this annexation is expected to further elevate Olive Branch’s population ranking. 6 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 07
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