Depot District in Bay St. Louis reborn and thriving. Could Amtrak supercharge its success?

Standing near shelves stacked with homemade dog treats shaped like donuts and cookies, Roxanne DeNicola reflected on how her pet boutique came to life in 2018.

“It all started from scratch,” she said, her magenta lips curling into a warm smile.

Cafe BoneJour, DeNicola’s store in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, was the first of many developments to pop up in the waterside town’s Depot District after much of it was purchased by a New Orleans developer seven years ago.

The colorful row of buildings, once home to many of the city’s iconic bars and restaurants, was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina.

Through the years, stores opened in the Depot District, attempting to reincarnate the hub to what it once was before the storm. But most of them came and went, opening for short periods of time and then closing up shop.

But the vibe is different now, business owners and city officials said this week. On a drizzly Wednesday afternoon, a bartender inside TBT Depot Deli made bloody marys in to-go cups while others sat for a late lunch. Just down the way at Uncle Joe’s Pizza and Wings, families filled a few tables before the dinner rush.

“It’s all changed,” said Jim MacPhaille, the businessman behind the Depot District.

MacPhaille bought and fully renovated nine of the 12 properties that make up the row of mixed-use development in 2018. After an unrelenting cycle of installing new roofs, rewiring and replumbing, he sought out new tenants. Today, the multi-million-dollar investment is an eclectic mix of restaurants, wine bars, fitness centers and vacation rentals.

“It’s got a vibe of almost like Freret Street,” MacPhaille said, referencing the popular thoroughfare in Uptown New Orleans.

The Depot District already attracts crowds of foodies, drinkers and fitness gurus alike. Some business owners are expecting the area to get higher foot traffic when Amtrak passenger service from New Orleans to Mobile returns in June, with a stop in Bay St. Louis. Others have their doubts.

Business owners torn about Amtrak’s impact

DeNicola is used to a regular flow of health-conscious customers coming into Cafe BoneJour and purchasing organic treats for their pets. But when asked if passenger service could attract most customers to the Depot District, she shrugged.

Downtown Bay St. Louis tends to attract more residents and tourists, DeNicola said, because of Second Saturday — a bimonthly art walk — and its substantial number of stores specializing in antiques, fashion and food. The art colony is also a seaside retreat for New Orleanians wanting an escape from city life.

“There’s always things going on downtown,” DeNicola said, “And they can be busy, busy, busy, busy. And we don’t see any of that.”

She isn’t completely doubtful, though, noting that the train station being directly across from the Depot District works in her store’s favor.

Scott Sutherland, owner of TBT Butcher Shop and Seafood Market and Depot Deli, expects travelers to “see the charm” in the area. He chose the location for his two businesses because of the return of Amtrak passenger service and, like DeNicola, he found downtown far too crowded.

“I think (the Depot District) has a lot of potential for exposure for new folks that may not have come by or realized this was here,” Sutherland added.

Amtrak’s potential impact on the Depot District

In 1996, Gulf Coast Limited — an Amtrak-operated train service that no longer exists — offered passengers a scenic excursion between New Orleans and Mobile. Like the up-and-coming route, there were stops scattered throughout Mississippi: Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi and Pascagoula. The service came to an end less than a year later.

The state funding for the single train was limited, only lasting nine months, according to Kay Kell, the Mississippi commissioner of the Southern Rail Commission. And the growth it brought to local economies was minute, though “activity in the Depot (District) area picked up,” Kell recalled.

When asked if the new service will attract more crowds, Kell said she “definitely thinks it will,” considering two trains will be rolling through, rather than just one, and the station’s location.

“If you travel anywhere by train, when you get off, you’re looking around at what’s right there,” she added.

Tish Williams, executive director of the Hancock County Chamber of Commerce, noted that Amtrak will attract New Orleans visitors to Bay St. Louis, while expanding its market as well.

“I think it’s going to give us the opportunity to attract that international market that’s already going to New Orleans,” Williams said. “They just don’t know about us, and they don’t have a public transit way to get here.”

A study by the University of Southern Mississippi found that connecting New Orleans to Mobile could annually provide between $24 million and $485 million in benefit to Mississippi’s economy. Nationwide, Amtrak says its services and passengers generate $8 million in economic benefit.