The Board of Mayor and Aldermen has approved an ordinance establishing the Vicksburg Garden District in the Pearl and Speed Street area to help improve and protect the historic area.

According to the ordinance, the garden district is a historically significant area and home to six residences listed on the National Register of Historic Places — Cedar Grove Mansion, Floweree, Belle of the Bends, The Corners, The Captain Carroll House, and The Bellevue Kitchen.

It is bounded on the south by Speed Street, east by Washington Street, west by Pearl Street, and north by the KCS railroad tracks, including the 2100-2400 blocks of Oak Street.

According to the ordinance, the district’s purpose is to foster development, revitalization, and renewal of the historically significant community “through the enforcement of building, housing, and related codes and the planned improvements to the area.”

A seven-member steering committee of Gregory Bingham, Harley Caldwell, Jimmy Gouras, Christie Guizerix, Kendra Reed, Fritz Valero, and Macy Whitney will advise the Board of Mayor and Aldermen on the guidelines necessary to foster development, redevelopment, improvement, and enhancement of properties in the district. Reed will serve as the committee chairman.

Caldwell said residents in the area developed the idea for the garden district. She said steering committee members either live in or own property in the garden district.

Mayor George Flaggs Jr. said the garden district was an example of residents taking control of their neighborhood.

“Now, to me, this is different; this is another game changer. People are coming together to take pride in their own neighborhood,” Flaggs said. “I just believe this is the beginning of a new beginning, and it’s needed in every community. Every neighborhood needs to take pride and investment in his own community.

“This way, we can beautify our city, and we can do some things.”