A former symbol of urban decay officially opened for business Tuesday after receiving a facelift of epic preportions. The Swift Center, located in the old Swift Building, held a grand opening to the public as a way of displaying a modern showcase of art-deco architecture.

"We are very happy with the turnout we had for the grand opening," stated Swift Center owner and revisionist Lynn Davis. "We had approximately 300 people participate in this event."

Among those attending the event were elected city and state officials, including City of West Point Mayor Kenny Dill.

"This is a great day for West Point," said Dill. "We commend Lynn Davis for turning something that had become an eyesore upon the community into a gateway for the future of downtown West Point."

The building, built in 1928, had been the site of the first Swift Company in Mississippi. Butter, cheese and ice cream was manufactured at the full-time dairy and milk processing unit. Trucks collected milk from dairies all over Clay County. Over 50 jobs were provided at the four-story structure.

The newly renovated Swift Center will house the offices of Davis International, Quest Marketing and 2 Brothers. Swift Climate Control, a controlled environment storage facility, will comprise the bottom two floors of the building.