Holloway cites progress in chamber presentation

Mayor A.J. Holloway said the City Council’s approval of a firm to oversee the city’s massive $355 million in infrastructure work was the most recent milestone in the city’s ongoing rebuilding.

Holloway, speaking to a Biloxi Chamber of Commerce audience at Biloxi Regional Medical Center, outlined the project — which includes repaving or rebuilding of more than 100 miles of streets, storm drains and water lines — and told residents about nearly a dozen construction projects now underway in Biloxi.

“Looking long-term,” the mayor said, “the most promising aspect of this massive project is that it will provide us brand-new infrastructure that will serve us well for the next 30 or 40 years.

“We’ll have brand-new streets, sidewalks, curbs and gutters in key areas of the city. We’ll have set the table for economic development and growth.

“That’s what we did out in the Cedar-Popp’s area, and you can see the results today – restaurants, small and large businesses, banks, hotels and a thriving economy because we have wide, safe roads, sidewalks and good infrastructure in general.”

The mayor listed several construction projects in all areas of the city as positive signs of Biloxi’s rebuilding. Among the examples cited: the new Hancock Bank building and a new restaurant in downtown Biloxi, two new subdivisions off Brodie Road, new restaurants in west Biloxi, new condotels and hotels along the beachfront, and approval of 300 new apartments in north Biloxi.

Nonetheless, Holloway noted, publicly funded and private construction will be on-going for years in Biloxi.

Said Holloway: “There’s two ways of looking at it: You can do it RIGHT, or you can do it RIGHT NOW. I prefer to do it right.”

To see the prepared text of the mayor’s presentation, click here.