DeSoto County approves design for new multi-purpose Safe Room

HERNANDO, Miss. – The DeSoto County Board of Supervisors took a significant step in community safety Monday, Jan. 5, by approving the architectural phase for a new $2 million dual-purpose safe room.

The facility, funded largely through Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) grants, will serve as a high-tech tornado shelter while doubling as a community recreation facility for meetings, and will even have room for an indoor pickleball court.

Grant Funding and Construction Phases

According to county officials, the project is being completed in phases. Monday’s approval finalized the architectural drawings and cleared the way for the payment of design services.

“The first phase was an architectural phase to design the building,” said Chris Olson, DeSoto County Emergency Services Director. “The next phase of the grant will be the actual bidding it out and going into construction.”

The total cost of the project is estimated at $2 million, with grant funding covering $1.4 million of the total. The county intends to open the bidding process to local vendors to keep construction investment within the community.

Built to Withstand “Direct Hit”

Engineers emphasized that while the building will look like a contemporary community center, its structural integrity is its primary purpose. The facility is designed to meet FEMA 361 standards, ensuring it can survive extreme weather events.

“We have to make sure that the building can withstand 250 mile per hour winds and missile impacts,” explained Corey Lowery, the project architect with Allen & Hoshall. “That defines the thickness of the walls and the depth of the concrete.”

The exterior will feature metal panels, brick, and CMU (concrete masonry units), styled to match the existing Agri-Education Center. A covered porch with a perforated screen will wrap around the front to provide protection from the elements for those entering the facility.

Multi-Purpose Community Use

To ensure the building remains useful outside of storm season, the interior is designed for maximum flexibility:

• Recreation: The main open room will feature painted lines for a pickleball court.
• Meetings: A dedicated small meeting room is included for community events.
• Public Access: Restrooms are designed to be accessible from the outside, allowing trail users and tennis players to use them even when the main safe room is locked.

Public Safety Access

Olson clarified that the building will transition from a community center to an emergency shelter the moment a tornado watch is issued for DeSoto County.

While the county currently utilizes safe rooms within the school system after hours and there is also a Safe Room facility near the Arena in Southaven, this new project addresses a long-standing need for more dedicated public shelter space.

“We’ve always seen the need for more ‘shelter in place’ options,” Olson said. “That’s why we applied for the grant.”