The Jackson City Council erupted into a fiery debate on Tuesday before approving an ordinance for accepting phase one of the Village at Livingston Place and authorizing the mayor to sign the final development plot.

The Village at Livingston Place is a development plan to bring around 200 residential homes to the area behind Jackson Medical Center. Phase one, which the board approved Tuesday, would construct the first 50 homes in the development. The Council approval was the last step needed for the development to move forward.

The council debated the proposal in an impassioned discussion that lasted more than 40 minutes.

“This is going to be a community of homes that all of Jackson should be proud of,” developer for the Village at Livingston Place Robert Gibbs said. “People will have an opportunity to buy a new house and live in the city of Jackson.

“What we need now is an opportunity to get a better tax base in our city.”

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This is a developing story.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Jackson MS council meeting leads to new housing development start