What is in store for Gulfport in 2019

As 2018 comes to an end, everyone is thinking about what is ahead for 2019, even city officials.

Today, News 25’s Kristen Anzuini sat down with Gulfport Mayor Billy Hewes to see what is in store for the upcoming year.

It’s hard to believe 2018 is coming to an end and for the City of Gulfport it has been an exciting year that has brought many improvements and changes. Gulfport Mayor Billy Hewes said, “It seems like every year around here is busy, but this one was more so. What people are seeing is not something that happened over night, it’s a result of years of work coming together.”

Some 2018 highlights include work on the Markham Hotel and Centennial Plaza starting to take shape. “There is just so much going on in Gulfport and we consider ourselves very blessed and fortunate to have this and it is because folks are discovering us on a regular basis and there is a lot to be had here.”

Mayor Hewes says there are a lot of exciting things in store for 2019 and one of the most exciting things coming to Gulfport in 2019 might be the new aquarium. “The aquarium, the aquarium, the aquarium. This time next year we should be having folks coming in. We’ve got a little sneak peek teaser, probably around Thanksgiving.”

With all of the good and exciting things, there are some negatives that the city hopes to improve on. “We are starting to have some traffic congestion. We have to work on that, but that is a good problem to have, just like parking is a good problem to have, that means people want to come here.”

Overall, Mayor Hewes is pleased in the direction the city is heading. “We’ve just got such a great place to live, work, and play and it sounds like a cliche, but that fact is it is exactly that.”