New development planned on the Biloxi beach: Luxury hotel, 40 townhouses and more
Tullis Gardens Hotel will combine old Biloxi architecture and a replica of the Tullis Manor with a 200-room hotel and conference center — without losing any protected trees on the site.
Biloxi architect Frank Genzer presented plans for the resort Tuesday to the Biloxi City Council, who also considered plans for townhomes and more short-term rentals near the beach.
The city owns the eight acre site at 360 Beach Boulevard in East Biloxi, where the former Tullis Manor was located before it was destroyed during Hurricane Katrina. The land is just west of Harrah’s Gulf Coast casino resort.
The developers are Luke and Ashley Lindsey, who Genzer said came to visit Biloxi and liked it so much they moved there family to the city. The projected cost of the resort is $140 million.
The couple’s priorities are to keep all the Live oaks and other trees on the property, Genzer said, and to reconstruct Tullis Manor that was built in 1856.
Genzer said he tried to emulate what historic architecture was all about in Biloxi and “The shape of the buildings was dictated by the trees that we were committed to save.”
Designing around the trees shifted the original location of the red brick manor about 25 feet to the west of the original location, Genzer said.
The resort amenities
To the east of the rebuilt Tullis, which will be used as an event center, will be the 11-story luxury hotel with water views, Genzer said.
Also included in the plans are:
- Retail on the Howard Avenue side plus restaurants
- Swimming pools behind an arched wall on the front of the resort
- Taking inspiration from the former Buena Vista hotel deck, a 75-seat restaurant will sit atop the hotel tower
- The resort will have 80,000 square feet of convention space
- Gardens and water gardens will be In keeping with Old Biloxi, Genzer said and a shoofly will be added that originally wasn’t at Tullis but is “typical Biloxi,” he said.
- A pedestrian crosswalk from the hotel to a new pier
- There will be parking in garage, valet parking and surface parking under the trees
The Biloxi City Council unanimously approved a one-year, $50,000 option to purchase the property.
The purchase price will be determined by the average of two appraisals, said project attorney Robert Schwartz, plus 25%. The city will choose the appraisers and a $2.25 million minimum is included, he said.
Asked for a percentage of probability the resort will be built, Schwarts said this is not a venture where people showed a couple of drawings. He said the developers spent $150,000 in designs before coming to the council for approval for an option to buy the land.
More beach projects
The council also approved other residential projects along or near the beach in Biloxi plus a medical marijuana dispensary:
▪ Elliott Homes will build 40 townhomes for short term rentals east of Holiday Inn Express and Jubilee Hotel at 1654 Beach Blvd. The townhouses will have sprinkler systems, said Jerry Creel, Biloxi community development director, and a separate entrance from Oak Shores apartments behind the development.
▪ A medical marijuana dispensary will be built at 771 Water Street, which is within walking distance to Beau Rivage and Hard Rock casinos, but not easily visible from U.S. 90.
▪ A duplex for short-term rentals at 197 First Street on the corner of Cedar Street, complete with a golf cart for the tenants to use, said architect Gerald Hopkins.
This story was originally published November 22, 2022 at 4:38 PM.
