Two beachfront hotels on the same lot? Developers want to build them in Biloxi.
Developers want to build two hotels on the same beachfront lot in Biloxi, geared to different kind of clientele.
The approximately $35 million project called Ancient Oaks Development went before the Biloxi Development Review Committee on Wednesday. The developers said they have designed the project at 1252 Beach Blvd., west of White House Hotel and White Avenue, to work around the nicest trees on the property.
The hotel on the south side, closest to the beach, would be a boutique style, 40-room hotel, said Neil Polen, an architect with Dale Partners Architects in Biloxi. He described lush landscaping and an outdoor courtyard between the two wings of the hotel.
Biloxi Aqua Suites Hotel would be upscale and geared toward couples, he said, with a rooftop pool and other water features, possibly a reflecting pool and plunge pools in some of the rooms. Construction of that hotel is planned to start in 2022.
Behind that at the center of the lot, the developers want to build a 108-room Marriott Residence Inn for longer-term stays. This type of hotel is geared for those temporarily working in the area or snowbirds spending the winter on the Coast.
The Residence Inn would be built in a second phase of development.
The developer is Harrison County Lodging Development of Ridgeland and the property is in the West Beach Historic District.
The north hotel would be 65 feet tall, which the developers said is below the ceiling for the nearby Keesler Air Force Base flights, but it would require a 5-foot variance from the city.
Members of the DRC said the project also would require variances for parking and perimeter space, zoning changes and a tree hearing. They also were concerned about access from U.S. 90 and for emergency vehicles.
The north hotel’s location at the center of the site would be 100 feet away from the residential area to the north on Father Ryan Avenue. The DRC recommended a Knox Box be installed that would allow only emergency vehicles to access the hotels from the north.
The application says the developer plans to request a state Tourism Tax Rebate Incentive for Biloxi Aqua Suites and tax increment financing assistance for parking, lighting and other infrastructure.
This story was originally published February 10, 2022 at 5:50 AM.
