Business - Casinos

Tuesday, Jun. 16, 2009

D’Iberville gives its approval for casino

D’IBERVILLE — Coast developer Mark Seymour has approval from D’Iberville to build a casino.

Now he needs investors.

The City Council gave its blessing to plans for the Royal D’Iberville Casino just west of Interstate 110 on the waterfront.

It would have a casino, French Market, restaurants, an 80-slip marina, 400 hotel rooms and a condo hotel, planning and zoning director Deonne Olier said at Tuesday’s meeting.

The council also granted a height variance of 60 feet for the 170-foot casino resort, which Seymour said is under the flight path of Keesler Air Force Base.

Seymour has worked for more than a decade to get the casino built.

He said the next steps are securing developers and getting the final approvals from the Mississippi Gaming Commission.

“I’m getting close,” he said.

In other action, the city received the highest possible rating on its 2008 audit, with net assets growing from $19.8 million in 2007 to $21.5 million in 2008.

“Overall we’re in sound financial shape,” said Bobby Culumber of Culumber, Fletcher, Harvey and Associates.

“We’re getting ready to double this budget in the next five years,” said Mayor Rusty Quave.

It was the final council meeting for Bob Bellman and Glenn Ellis, who lost their re-election bids.

“I’m going to miss it,” said Bellman, who served for 12 years and didn’t take a salary.

Ellis, a coach for 16 years, said the city officials and staff worked as a team for the last four years to make D’Iberville better.