2016 will bring hotels, attractions, restaurants across South Mississippi

As 2015 ends, the new Scarlet Pearl Casino is open, houses are going up along the beach and there's a new optimism and interest in development across South Mississippi.

It's been 10 years since Hurricane Katrina and just when it seemed like all the building that was going to return had come back, BP money has started flowing in from the Gulf oil spill and investors are calling again.

The phone's ringing constantly, said David Parker, Gulfport's economic-development director, who is keeping up with four new restaurants opening after the New Year along with new hotels, attractions and stores.

Although details are still confidential, "there's a lot more big announcements to come," he said.

Parker started the job a year and a half ago, when it looked as though D'Iberville was going to lure away many of Gulfport's retail stores. In the past year, building permits are up 29 percent in Gulfport -- "Tremendous," he said -- and Academy Sports built a new store in D'Iberville but kept its Gulfport store.

Parker credits the council and administration working together "to be as business friendly, proactive and competitive as possible." The result is construction across the city. Restaurants are going up on the beach and north of Interstate 10. The city's new tax-abatement program is getting houses built on the beach. Revitalization is bringing more business and tourism downtown.

"The aquarium is well into the design phase," Parker said. Gulfport will take the market study, determine what kind of marine attraction fits for South Mississippi and balance the vision with the budget and the technical requirements for the hundreds of species that could be featured.

"Tourism is 25 percent of our economy," he said. Gulfport will open a visitors center at Grass Lawn on U.S. 90, because with all the city and the Coast have to offer, "people need directions," he said.

The new Pascagoula River Audubon Center opened in Moss Point this year, bringing eco-tourists from across the country to Jackson County, and new nature trails are being added at Infinity Science Center in Hancock County.

Hotels are going up to accommodate the tourists coming to Harrison County. In Biloxi, the guest rooms at Harrah's Gulf Coast are getting a total makeover and the old Casino Magic is being transformed into a hotel and water park.

Boom goes D'Iberville

D'Iberville has become a retail hub since Katrina. Now, with the opening of Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort this month, City Planner Jeff Taylor said D'Iberville is working to become an effective and well-received tourism destination. Appearance and marketing now are priorities, he said, and a committee is working on branding for the city.

Like all South Mississippi cities, it is looking to get a share of the millions in BP money coming to the Coast. The city applied for money to make harbor improvements and add a meeting facility to anchor the proposed French Market downtown.

"Those two things would allow us to expand and capitalize on the things the casino brings," Taylor said. Scarlet Pearl added jobs and tax revenue, but he said, "opportunity is not opportunity if we don't capitalize on it. We have lots of work to do."

Hancock County projects

Several large projects were announced for Port Bienville Industrial Park and Stennis Airport. Smaller projects also are getting attention, such as the migration of Old Cuevas Bistro to Bay St. Louis and the return of Dan B's restaurant.

The Murphy family is working to get back in operation across from Hancock Bank, said Tish Williams, executive director of the Hancock County Chamber of Commerce. "They're coming back together to rebuild the historic restaurant on the waterfront."

A new sports complex at Kiln, more second homes in Waveland and a new water and sewer project in Diamondhead are all big undertakings for those areas, Williams said. Then there's the new hotel tower at Silver slipper Casino. "That was huge in being able to attract more visitors to that area," she said.

Jackson County progress

Ocean Springs residents can see progress on Charter Bank's new branch, which will open early in the new year, and new shops and restaurants downtown.

Pascagoula has seen 37 businesses open this year. Jen Dearman, director of community and economic development, said Whimsy Books and Toys, which started in the Anchor Square business incubator, moved downtown. The owners of Zeal Boutique bought a larger space downtown and the former Josette's building is being turned into office space. "(The building at) 633 Delmas had been vacant for decades before this renovation," she said.

One thing missing in Gulfport and most other Coast cities is downtown housing. Parker said 10 or 12 years ago, Oxford, Tupelo, Columbus, Starkville and Hattiesburg really started to embrace the new-urbanism concept of downtown living.

"What happened here 10 years ago?" he said.

Katrina stunted the Coast's downtown housing trend, but Parker said that has its advantages. The Coast has 10 years' worth of experience and best practices to look at around the state, "so that we can do it right," he said.

This story was originally published December 19, 2015 at 5:52 PM with the headline "2016 will bring hotels, attractions, restaurants across South Mississippi ."