The Barrington Group, the folks who restored the upscale White House Hotel in 2014 and unveiled the family-oriented Margaritaville this summer, were at City Hall tonight with the next big thing in Biloxi, but it actually turned into two next big things in Biloxi.
Attorney Michael Cavanaugh appeared during a City Council meeting this evening to announce Barrington’s plans to turn the former Santa Maria retirement home into the Watermark, a 154-room, all-suites hotel, a $12 million investment that would also feature a restaurant specializing in fresh-caught seafood, and a lounge, while creating 70 permanent jobs.
However, Cavanaugh made what some say is an even bigger announcement when Councilmember Paul Tisdale asked him about future plans for Margaritaville:
The Barrington Group envisions a $140 million investment that would see a second, 300-room hotel tower on property to the west, with a huge family attraction or amusement park in between, and a 100-room long-stay hotel north of U.S. 90, west of St. Michael Catholic Church.
Although Cavanaugh said plans were preliminary, he told councilmembers a target date of May 2018 has been discussed, pending rezoning of the land by the city, and securing a required state Tidelands lease for a portion of the property.
See the rendering shown during the meeting
A rendering of Phase 2 of Margaritaville, as presented to the Biloxi City Council.
