Post-Katrina construction in Biloxi tops $700 million mark

The city’s Community Development Department has announced that Biloxi has issued more than $700 million in permits for construction in the 23½ months since Hurricane Katrina, and nearly three-quarters of the work has been non-casino and non-condominium work.

“You hear a lot of talk about all of the casino and condo plans in Biloxi,” Holloway told a Biloxi Chamber of Commerce audience earlier this week. “But I think the real story is the $444 million in non-casino and non-condo construction taking place throughout our city.”

However, Holloway added, casino resort and condo construction is certainly helping drive overall construction.

In all, $261 million or 36 percent of all construction has been related to casino and condo construction since Katrina, including a $7 million permit issued this week for foundation work at the Margaritaville site on Casino Row.

A breakdown on the Community Development Department figures since Hurricane Katrina:

—Total number of all permits issued: nearly 20,000 (includes commercial, residential, building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and temporary trailer permits).

—Total valuation of all construction: $705 million

—Total non-casino and non-condo: $444 million.

—Total casino and condo: $261 million.

—Total new single family homes:$45 million

—Total of new single family homes or rebuilds: 307 new homes

—Total new multi-family (apartments): $72 million

—Total number of new apartment units: 408



Erin makes landfall on Texas coast; Hurricane Dean continues westward

Tropical Storm Erin made landfall Thursday morning and brought rain to the Texas Gulf Coast even as it was downgraded to a tropical depression.

Hurricane Dean, with winds of 80 mph, is moving toward the west at 24 mph and is expected to be centered near the Lesser Antilles on Friday, with some forecasts reporting the storm near the Yucatan Peninsula on Tuesday. An e-mail transmitted Wednesday incorrectly reported the storm could be in the Gulf as early as Friday.

You can read weather advisories from the National Hurricane Center and see real-time radar from the National Weather Service in the city’s online storm center. To go there, click here.

Planning Commission meets this afternoon

The Biloxi Planning Commission meets this afternoon at 2 at the Community Development Department on MLK Boulevard in downtown Biloxi.

During the meeting, commissioners are expected to continue a public hearing from Monday regarding a proposed rezoning of property at the former site of the Tivoli hotel.

To see the agenda for this afternoon’s meeting, click here.