‘Very rare opportunity.’ Downtown Biloxi bank will transform into modern vacation rentals.
The front doors are wide open at the former Wells Fargo Bank on Howard Avenue as crews begin demolition to turn the building into The Bella, a new short-term rental development.
Named for the daughter of owner Ivan Spinner, the two-story building at 854 Howard Avenue will have about 16 units, said Garlon Pemberton, owner of HP Development. The exterior will be painted crisp white.
“One of the main goals is getting people staying downtown,” he said.
New businesses like the Ground Zero Blues Club are opening at the same time as new apartments and vacation rentals are returning.
“It’s a very rare opportunity,” he said.
Plans for the project will be reviewed by Biloxi’s Development Review Committee once the demolition is done, Pemberton said. The large concrete vault has to be removed, he said, before renters can move in.
They envision efficiency units, he said, which would provide renters with the facilities they need to be comfortable and put them in easy walking distance to downtown casinos, restaurants and nightlife. Renters also will be able to walk to MGM Park for a baseball game, the harbor to see the boats come in and the Mardi Gras Museum.
The building is across the street from Saenger Theater, which is being restored, and the Barq Building, which has been empty for years and will become a mixed-use development as part of The District on Howard.
Just down the way, the former Josette’s building is being transformed into downtown apartments.
Promising future
They hope to have the renovation complete and the units ready to rent by the end of the year, Pemberton said. His company also is building the new Woody’s Roadside restaurant in Gulfport, Marina Cantina in Ocean Springs and other projects along Pass Road.
The building became available when Wells Fargo closed the bank on Oct. 20. Bank officials said customers are doing more banking online and brick and mortar branches are consolidating.
Biloxi’s downtown is returning to life for the first time in decades. Department stores moved to shopping centers and homes were demolished during Urban Renewal in the 1950s and ‘60s.
In the new era of living and entertainment, another draw is the possibility that the Amtrak passenger train will return. The service would bring in visitors from New Orleans and beyond, and the platform is just a couple of blocks from The Bella.
