PROJECT: The Cut-Off
A community gathering space in Ripley, Miss., brings food trucks, new businesses, and a place for meeting neighbors comes together in a bright, cheerful setting.
Project Completed Sept. 2025
The grand opening of the Cut-Off was held Sept. 5, 2025
The Cut-Off in Ripley, Mississippi, has many purposes. Yes, it’s a new business incubator and food truck hub. Yes, it was once a car wash that sat vacant for many years. Renovated in 2025, it is now a bright space near downtown where blight had been. It also pays homage to the area’s native Chickasaw tribe through painted murals and name (the Tippah in Tippah County is a Chickasaw word meaning “cut off”). But perhaps most crucially, it’s a gathering place for Ripley residents.
“There’s never a time I drive by when I don’t see three or four families just enjoying the space together,” said Chris Lewellen, Tippah County Development Foundation Executive Director. “We have lost the art of fellowship, and it’s nice to see people there talking to each other, talking with their neighbors.”
The brainchild of Ripley Main Street Executive Director Elizabeth Behm, The Cut-Off held a grand opening in early September, but the work and idea had been percolating in Behm’s mind for many years prior.
“My dad owned the car wash when I was growing up,” Behm said. “He would let me keep anything I found in the vacuum if I cleaned it out. So this is really a full-circle moment for me.”
Ripley Main Street Executive Director Elizabeth Behm
Representatives from the Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area, Mississippi Main Street Association, and Ripley Main Street gather to celebrate The Cut-Off.
Behm saw potential in the dilapidated buildings to create something unique in Ripley. She envisioned a place that would attract people from all aspects of her community. With the help of the Main Street Board of Directors, Behm and her team transformed the real estate, painting, picking up trash, pulling weeds, and watering new plants.
They created two retail spaces designed for entrepreneurs looking to bring their business vision to life. There’s a small stage and seating for performances, as well as an expansive green lawn. In addition to the five Chickasaw portraits, painted by Ripley native Annie Simpson, a large mural of the word Ripley beautifies the area and beckons highway traffic.
The project was supported with grant funding from the Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area, Mississippi Main Street ARPA funds, and a Fred Carl Jr. Small Town Center Small Town Revitalization Grant.
“Without grants from these organizations, we wouldn’t be able to do things like this,” Behm said. “I love this project. Not just because we’re turning something ugly into something pretty, but because of the impact it has on our community. It’s so great to drive by here on a Friday night — you see the tables full, kids running around, people playing cornhole. It just adds so much.”
