Gautier enters agreement with Belk to move forward on Town Center development

Gautier and Belk department store have entered into a partnership to allow the city to move forward with its Town Center development.

Mayor Casey Vaughn hailed the agreement as a signal that Gautier is moving forward.

“We want to assure our residents that, despite rumors, Belk does not have control over our city’s development,” he said. “We are delighted to move forward with Belk in accordance with this agreement, which prioritizes our community’s vision for growth and progress. This partnership  will bring exciting new opportunities for a downtown area, including mixed-use development and a vibrant retail experience.”

The Town Center also would include a Mississippi Songwriters Performing Arts Center.

Gautier bought the 55-acre mall property in 2021 for $5 million with the intent of establishing a Town Center on the property. The city filed an eminent domain lawsuit in 2022 to try to move forward on the development, but an agreement between the city and the store was reached last month and the lawsuit was dropped.

The agreement, signed today, allows Belk to keep its store at the old Singing River Mall property. The store and the property it sits on, is owned by Belk and is ranked in the Top 5 of Belk’s 16 regional stores.

Additionally, the company will be required to refurbish the exterior within two years of the city removing the awning on the back of the building and removing the concrete pad underneath. Once that is done, Belk is to begin the exterior work on its building.

Gautier owns the rest of the property and can move forward with development opportunities which could include restaurants, bars, live music venues, hotels, boutiques, home improvement stores, sporting goods stores and commercial retail.

The agreement also prohibits mobile home parks, junkyards, gambling venues, hazardous waste, funeral homes and marijuana dispensaries.