Biloxi State of the City: Updates on Shuckers’ Stadium, Saenger, and more

People gathered at the Beau Rivage to hear Mayor Fofo Gilich showcase how the city is progressing.

As Biloxi celebrates 325 years, citizens are reminiscing on the past but looking to the future.

Mayor Fofo Gilich showcased the strides the city has made – from infrastructure to rejuvenating that city history.

“We’re excited. We’ve made progress every year. Each year is better than the year before,” Mayor Gilich said. “We’re very pleased with the energy and the innovation that we’ve shown and been able to report, you know, the good news in Biloxi.”

A quick overview of the largest projec

ts going on:

The Saenger Theater is complete and set to open by the end of the year.

The city will continue to upgrade piers, parks, and sports complexes, including the Shuckers stadium – which Keesler Federal Credit Union may be naming!

Lastly, the Popps Ferry Extension is becoming a reality as Neel-Schaffer engineers work on plans.

With so much change happening in Biloxi, here’s how folks are feeling about the state of the city.

“So, I moved back to the coast in 2015. At that point, it was still ten years post-Katrina. It seemed a little bit sleepy. So, to see the development in the last ten years is astronomical,” said Erin Rosetti, memorial communications manager. “It’s exciting as a young person who gets to live here and contribute to that, but it’s also great to see that we’re harkening on those days of Downtown Biloxi when it was truly a thriving, living entity. People talk about that all the time, right? It used to be just the coolest place to hang out, and it feels that way now! It’s just great to see that come back to life.”

Tina Ross-Seamans, executive director of Biloxi Bay Area Chamber of Commerce said, “The major talked about the sales tax collections last July breaking all records. That doesn’t just happen overnight. That takes leadership. I think our leadership of the city of Biloxi is doing what they need to be doing in order for us to all be successful.”

As for the years to come…

“We’ve got a vision, and it’s easy to deliver on that vision. I’m very pleased. Nothing is as fast as you want it to be, but we’ve accomplished some good things since 2015, year after year. I’m pleased with that, but it’s never enough,” Gilich said.