Secretary of State Speaks on Point Cadet Rezoning

The City of Biloxi moves forward with its plan to rezone more than 20 acres of land on Point Cadet in order to expand Margaritaville.
News 25’s Kendra Turley caught up with Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann, who is against the rezoning proposal, as well as city officials.
The City of Biloxi hopes to shake up Coast entertainment with a $140 million proposal that would add on to Margaritaville. The proposal aims to rezone parts of Point Cadet in Biloxi in order to make way for an amusement park, a hotel, and other family friendly attractions. City of Biloxi Public Affairs Manager Vincent Creel said, “That’s going to generate more play at the neighboring casinos. That’s going to generate more business for the entire city, which is going to generate more revenue for the entire state of Mississippi.”
Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann has other plans for the property. “This property may be worth $100 million. That’s what it’s probably worth or more. So instead of me saying ‘well, let’s just cavalierly go out and lease it to a restaurant or something,’ we need to find out what the best use is and would this be a casino site,” said Hosemann.
Biloxi officials say the opening of Margaritaville Resort in June brought a new type of visitor to the Coast market. They are confident the phase two expansion will not only attract more visitors, but create significant job opportunities for locals as well. “Everybody on the Gulf Coast for years has said we need to diversify. We don’t want to be just about casinos. Now we have an opportunity with a developer that’s right here, right now.” said Creel.
The Planning Commission will host a public hearing on Thursday to discuss options for the waterfront property. The hearing will be held at 2 p.m. at the Martin Luther King Municipal Building in Biloxi. “The addition of family entertainment, I think is a great idea for the Coast. I’d be for that for my personal preference, but I still have a responsibility to people who live on the Coast to maximize their dollars and it’s a lot of money,” said Hosemann.