City opens bids on MGM Park Wednesday

The city on Wednesday afternoon will open bids from contractors vying to move forward with the construction of MGM Park at Beau Rivage. The bids will be open at 4 p.m. at City Hall.

The city had advertised weeks ago for a general contractor for the downtown stadium and entertainment venue, which had an initial budget of  $36 million. Some work on the project has already begun, including preliminary site work at the Caillavet Street  and U.S. 90 site, the construction of a foundation and retaining wall and infrastructure work on Caillavet Street.

“This general contractor will be responsible for bringing this project to completion,” said Biloxi Chief Administrative Officer David Nichols, “and given the timetable we’re looking at, we want them to hit the ground running.”

In  May, the City Council decided to abandon the project manager route and hire a general contractor to oversee all facets of construction of the stadium.

The move allowed the city to solicit bids from one overall contractor instead of bidding each individual phase of the project, a process that had required the time-consuming re-bidding of work after initial bids were above projections.

“The goal here,” Nichols said at the time, “is to speed up the process and look to save money.”

The 2015 Southern League baseball season begins in April 2015.
Visit the  Biloxi baseball website

 

Ohr to open iconic pod on Saturday afternoon

Everybody has their opinion of them, those stainless steel pods down at the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art in east Biloxi, and on Saturday afternoon you’ll have a chance to go inside one.

The Ohr-O’Keefe will mark the anniversary of the birth of eccentric potter George E. Ohr, with the opening of one of the four pods designed by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry. Inside, visitors will find the museum’s permanent collection of Ohr pottery in an exhibit titled “George E. Ohr: Prized, Honored & Cherished.”

Admission is free for the day.

“This is a milestone occasion,” declared Kevin O’Brien, executive director at Ohr-O’Keefe. “For years, we’ve looked like a construction zone. That’s all changing; we’re moving forward. For this pod opening, we’re going to be showcasing some Ohr pottery that has never been on public display.

“What the public will see on Saturday represents a major step for us, not only with the pod opening, but the progress we’re seeing on the entire campus.”

The opening ceremonies will be at 4 p.m., but events will begin at 2 p.m., with a talk and slide show on Ohr, art demonstrations, a question-and-answer session, and book signings. Visitors also will be able to create their own pinch pots, for $5.

At 4 p.m. will be the opening of the pod, formerly known as the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino Gallery Pod on the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Pavilion.
Visit the Ohr-O’Keefe website