What’s next for yacht club and former casino in Biloxi? Here’s the latest on the plans
Harry Mohney bought two choice commercial buildings in Biloxi a year ago and is working on his plans for the Biloxi Yacht Club and the former Margaritaville casino.
After selling to Mohney, the Yacht Club stayed in the multi-story, Southern-style building on the beach for a year at a $1 lease, plus some of the expenses.
The insurance and other expenses proved to be too costly, and the group just moved next door to the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art. There they are operating the cafe and using that area of the facility after the museum closes for the day.
“It was primarily a financial decision that was made,” said Tim Manuel, commodore at Biloxi Yacht Club. “Even with that kind of favorable lease it was still costing us a lot of money to be there.”
The end of the lease was completed on friendly terms, Manuel said, with Mohney sending a letter saying he was sorry to see them go and offering any assistance to the group as it looks to build a new headquarters..
“It’s important to note this is a temporary location,” Manuel said of the Ohr Museum. “We’re still focusing in on identifying a permanent home as soon as possible.”
New entertainment venue on the way
Now Mohney is focusing on completing the renovations of the former casino into an entertainment venue and figuring out how best to use the yacht club building.
The former casino at the end of Fifth Street is being transformed. The 100,000-square-foot building wasn’t in bad condition, Singletary said, but after 10 years of being idle, needs updates and modifications to turn it into restaurants, bars and event space.
“All the bathrooms have been renovated,” he said. The stairwells were stripped and powder-coated. All of the lights in the parking lot were redone.
The ideas have changed a few times, he said, but the latest plans are for a Hammered Harry’s restaurant, billed as “service with an attitude,” and a Cat’s Meow karaoke nightclub like Mohney operates in New Orleans, Las Vegas and other cities.
The Cat’s Meow, with its superior sound system, was popular and packed in New Orleans, “So he built another one,” Singletary said said, a short distance away on Bourbon Street.
Also planned for the Biloxi venue are a speakeasy and an axe-throwing attraction in one of the bars, Singletary said.
A kids’ indoor playground could fill the first floor, he said, where anything that goes there has to be movable when tropical weather approaches.
The restaurants and attractions will be family-friendly until about 10 at night, when it becomes an adult-only venue. The Waterfront zoning of the property allows some adult entertainment, but that is strictly regulated under city ordinances.
The casino had an events center on the west side of the building, where boxing and music were staged.
“We remodeled it,” Singletary said. Dressing rooms were added and the space is being readied to host boxing matches, entertainment, weddings and other events.
There’s no timetable when the building will open, he said.
What’s next for yacht club?
Mohney purchased the Biloxi Yacht Club with the idea of opening a Dick’s Last Resort restaurant there, but then sold the restaurant chain.
He has no definite plans for the building, Singletary said. He could rent it, sell it or come up with a new concept that would work in the building that has a kitchen, dining and meeting rooms and a waterfront swimming pool.
Meanwhile, he’s secured the building so it will be ready for its next incarnation, Singletary said.
“It’s a little bittersweet,” Manuel said, leaving the big, beautiful building the club built after Hurricane Katrina destroyed the old one. But it’s also a positive.
“This is going to also allow us to restart our junior sailing program,” he said, which has been a huge goal and a challenge with the expenses.
“That remains our primary priority,” he said.
Moving Biloxi Yacht Club to the Ohr Museum was a win for both organizations, Manuel said.
BYC expects to save a lot of money by essentially sharing space with Ohr, he said, while still having plenty of space to operate member events.
Under the agreement, BYC provides their manager Sandra Rogers, Chef Cole McAlvain and wait staff to operate the cafe area at the museum, “Which is basically the space we’re leasing,” he said. They will prepare food and beverage service for museum visitors, the public and BYC members.
During the winter hours lunch is available to the public Tuesday through Saturday.
“The museum has a lot of events outside regular museum hours,” he said, and BYC will be catering most of these events.
BYC already moved most of their equipment out of the yacht club building and will be totally moved no later than March 1.
This story was originally published January 16, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
