By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director
This has been a very active week in the Community Development Department. Building Permits have been issued for the renovations to the “Kress Building” ($750,000), the Green Space at the “Grand Casino” ($950,000) and the demolition and site work for the new Minor League Baseball Stadium ($600,000).
Building plans are being reviewed for the “Goodwill Retail Store” to be relocated to the former Balius’ Flooring building on Pass Road. This is a much larger structure and will allow Goodwill to establish an additional area for internet sales. Building plans are also being reviewed for a new “Steak and Shake Restaurant” to be located inside the transformed “Harrah’s Casino”.
Building plans have been completed and permits should be issued in the next few days for the New Life Parish Center at  “Saint Michael’s Church”, and for the new “Walmart Neighborhood Market” on Pass Road. The subdivision plat for the Walmart Market was signed and recorded yesterday, paving the way for the Market to move forward.
This week, the Development Review Committee reviewed site plans for a new 6 story, 144 room “Hyatt Hotel” on Beach Boulevard. The new hotel will be located on the west side of the  Hampton Inn. Also on the DRC agenda was a site plan for a new Bank to be constructed on Popp’s Ferry Road east of Temple Baptist Church.
The Biloxi Planning Commission voted last week to conduct public hearings for a number of possible text amendments to the Land Development Ordinance: (1) to adjust the number of parking spaces required for new hotels and motels. (2) to address the proper zoning and locations for seasonal fireworks stands, (3) to address the sales area surfacing materials for the ordinance requiring “Enclosure of Use”, and lastly (4) to consider establishing Pass Road as a review district. These public hearing will be advertised in advance of the  meetings.
The new “Sal and Mookie’ s Restaurant” to be located on Lameuse Street between the Old Biloxi Library and the Town Green will go before the city council on Tuesday to ask for tax abatement approval. The pizza and ice cream restaurant will be a $1.5 million project and is expected to employ 70 people.
