The Popp’s Ferry Causeway Park, a project that’s been three decades in the making, will open to the public Friday morning.
Motorists passing on the nearby Popp’s Ferry bridge have watched for months as outdoor pavilions, waterfront piers and marsh overlooks have taken shape, but the city has delayed opening until marsh grass was allowed to matured and a gate was installed at the entrance to the improvements.
“The gate will open at 7 o’clock Friday morning,” Biloxi Chief Administrative Office Mike Leonard says. “The public will have access to the waterfront boardwalk, marsh overwalks, open-air interpretive center and a host of waterside railed walkways, and covered fishing kiosks.”
Leonard adds that the gate will close at 4 p.m. each business day and the hours may be tweaked over the next several months.
Plans are for the 1,000-square-foot bait shop and kayak rental operation to open in the fall. The structure, elevated 18 feet above the ground, will be operated by Biloxi Watershed, partners who also are involved in The Fillin’ Station, a popular downtown restaurant and bar. The operators plan to expand operations in the spring to include an outdoor bar overlooking the waterfront and outdoor food service.
The causeway park project actually dates back to the ’80s, when then-Mayor Gerald Blessey had the city buy a sliver of waterfront land as part of the city’s award-winning waterfront master plan. Years later, Mayor A.J. Holloway oversaw the city’s purchase of the remainder of the 10-acre site, and the city envisioned increased use of the site but didn’t have the money for wholesale improvements, until Gov. Phil Bryant steered BP money to the project.
Said Leonard: “This project’s intent was to improve a site owned by the City of Biloxi by expanding an existing parks so that visitors could experience the coastal estuary ecosystem. We know people have watched the progress of this $4.2 million project, and we are excited to officially open.”
See images of the park
See the bait shop resolution
News & Notes: City Desk, pool party, Mary Rose
City Desk: Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich gives an update on the budget, the boardwalk, and more. To listen to the City Desk Podcast, recorded this morning at Biloxi City Hall, click here.
Pool party: The Biloxi Parks & Recreation Department will host its annual Back-To-School Pool Party Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Biloxi Natatorium. The affair is free, open to the public and will include activities. To view the flyer, click here.
Good bye Mary Rose: Biloxi has lost one of its colorful residents. Mary Rose Lehey has passed away. To see a photo gallery posted in remembrance, click here.
