If you could remake the appearance of Magnolia, what would it look like?
magnoliareporter.com has given over part of that task to the artificial intelligence program, ChatGPT.
We’ve provided ChatGPT several photographs of buildings and other locations in Magnolia. We’ve asked it to re-imagine the locations as something else. magnoliareporter.com offers the results in this Friday series.
magnoliareporter.com also publishes this column on national holidays.
Today, magnoliareporter.com and ChatGPT re-imagines 332 Smith, a house at the intersection of Smith and Buffington streets. The house is owned by Miranda Booker. We re-imagine the house with a porch and handicapped accessibility, solar panels, sidewalks, a deck and improved landscaping.
On April 3, 2026, we re-imagined Out-of-the-Box on North Dudney Street as a blues club, fitness center, and an improved version of itself. CLICK HERE to see it.
It should be noted that there are no plans to remake any of these locations into the new uses that we’ve suggested to ChatGPT. Ultimately, what happens with these buildings or land parcels is up to the people who own them, or who buy them for the fulfillment of their own visions.
Check Magnolia's zoning regulations to learn if any proposed use would be permitted at a specific location.
However, we also want to hold property owners -- whether they live in Magnolia or out-of-state -- accountable for the condition, maintenance and upkeep of their buildings or lots. That’s why, effective with our Friday, January 9, 2026 feature, we began identifying the owners of property that we highlight, using Columbia County tax assessment records.
Our purpose in doing so is not to ridicule or shame, but to encourage positive changes in Magnolia’s appearance.
Many storefronts in Magnolia need facelifts. Some of these locations are simply vacant and just need a new purpose, paint, landscaping or basic maintenance. In other cases, the community may be better served through the employment of a bulldozer, wrecking ball or implosion.
We want Magnolia to be beautiful. We want vacant buildings re-purposed. We want dilapidated structures fixed. We want ignored properties purchased by owners who will love them.
magnoliareporter.com hopes to get discussions going as to what is possible in Magnolia and Columbia County if people act. Most of the suggestions will be serious ones. A few will be purposefully ridiculous or even controversial. In some cases, we’ll offer ChatGPT’s vision of worst-case or worse-use scenarios.
If you have specific buildings or places you'd like to see re-imagined, let us know. Email your ideas to news@magnoliareporter.com.