There’s a new project underway downtown and city leaders said it will bring a touch of nostalgia to the city’s historic district.

Six streetlights are being replaced on Goodyear Boulevard beginning at Main Street and ending at Quince Street and12 streetlights are being added West Canal Street.

“The council elected to go with ornate and nostalgic streetlights to go around City Hall,” City Manager Jim Luke said. “It’s their vision to encourage economic development in downtown.”

Public Works Director Eric Morris said the lights will create an authentic period look representative to the era downtown speaks to.

“We’re reclaiming a bit of our history,” Luke said. “We have the ornate signage, softer greenery, flowers and now the lights.”

Luke said each year the city wants to try and expand that footprint, as money becomes available.

“It’s my job to make the city look warm and inviting to the public with that old Southern charm,” Luke said.

The lights on Goodyear will be double-headed and in the shape of an inverted acorn and West Canal’s lights will be acorn shaped and similar to the lighting around City Hall, Morris said.

Morris said they have plans to install pendant hanging style fixtures with draping floral arrangements to the light poles on Goodyear Boulevard.

The new lights on Goodyear and West Canal were funded by a $200,000 grant from the Mississippi Department of Transportation, Luke said.

Webster Electric was awarded the bid for the installation of the lights, Morris said.

Morris said they hope to see lights being installed in the next three weeks.