Big plans
Big plans
Mississippi casinos' rebuilding efforts advance with recent approvals
Several Gulf Coast gaming properties made progress recently when local planning officials greenlighted the building of new casinos and hotels in Gulfport and Biloxi, Miss.
Gulfside Casino Partnership plans to buy the Grand Casino property, south of U.S. 90, and will close on the Oasis Hotel land, north of U.S. 90, on March 15. Gulfside's Copa Casino was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, but with the new land purchases, co-owners Rick Carter and Terry Green plan to build a casino, spending more than $200 million on the project.
"We're planning big things," Carter told the Associated Press. "It will be as competitive as any casino anywhere."
Although two casinos already operated in Gulfport before Katrina hit, the city had to rezone the area to allow for Gulfside's plan.
Meanwhile, Broadwater Development LLP received approval from the Biloxi Planning Commission last week for their $1 billion Broadwater Resort in Biloxi, Miss.
"I don't think the city has seen a project this big, and probably won't see another this big," said Mark Calvert, who presented the condo, hotel and casino resort project to the commission on behalf of Broadwater. The commission approved a height variance in the plan, allowing one of the resort structures to exceed the 220-foot limit set by city ordinance.
The 261 acres selected for the project will eventually feature an 18-hole golf course with retail shops nearby, 3,375 condo units and 1,900 hotel rooms. Two casinos will be built-one south of U.S. 90 and one at the Broadwater Hotel site.
In more Gulf-related gaming news, Susan Varnes was named chief operating officer of Treasure Bay Gaming & Resorts Inc., which also has plans to rebuild in Biloxi.
"We are coming out with a new logo and a new image," Varnes told the Sun Herald. "Our old logo was the ship. Unfortunately, the ship is in the process of being demolished. We thought this was an opportunity to go with something a little more modern."
The new casino, located just north of U.S. 90, will reopen in late summer or fall.
Varnes was preceded in leadership at Treasure Bay by Bernie Burkholder, who resigned after 12 years. Varnes is the first woman to run a Mississippi-based casino property.
-Darby Harris
Mississippi casinos' rebuilding efforts advance with recent approvals
Several Gulf Coast gaming properties made progress recently when local planning officials greenlighted the building of new casinos and hotels in Gulfport and Biloxi, Miss.
Gulfside Casino Partnership plans to buy the Grand Casino property, south of U.S. 90, and will close on the Oasis Hotel land, north of U.S. 90, on March 15. Gulfside's Copa Casino was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, but with the new land purchases, co-owners Rick Carter and Terry Green plan to build a casino, spending more than $200 million on the project.
"We're planning big things," Carter told the Associated Press. "It will be as competitive as any casino anywhere."
Although two casinos already operated in Gulfport before Katrina hit, the city had to rezone the area to allow for Gulfside's plan.
Meanwhile, Broadwater Development LLP received approval from the Biloxi Planning Commission last week for their $1 billion Broadwater Resort in Biloxi, Miss.
"I don't think the city has seen a project this big, and probably won't see another this big," said Mark Calvert, who presented the condo, hotel and casino resort project to the commission on behalf of Broadwater. The commission approved a height variance in the plan, allowing one of the resort structures to exceed the 220-foot limit set by city ordinance.
The 261 acres selected for the project will eventually feature an 18-hole golf course with retail shops nearby, 3,375 condo units and 1,900 hotel rooms. Two casinos will be built-one south of U.S. 90 and one at the Broadwater Hotel site.
In more Gulf-related gaming news, Susan Varnes was named chief operating officer of Treasure Bay Gaming & Resorts Inc., which also has plans to rebuild in Biloxi.
"We are coming out with a new logo and a new image," Varnes told the Sun Herald. "Our old logo was the ship. Unfortunately, the ship is in the process of being demolished. We thought this was an opportunity to go with something a little more modern."
The new casino, located just north of U.S. 90, will reopen in late summer or fall.
Varnes was preceded in leadership at Treasure Bay by Bernie Burkholder, who resigned after 12 years. Varnes is the first woman to run a Mississippi-based casino property.
-Darby Harris
