By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director
This week in economic development, the city council voted unanimously to approved the zoning change for property located at 950 and 956 Beach Boulevard from Residential Multi-Family (RM-10), to Community Business (CB). This change was necessary in order to allow a proposed La Quinta Inn & Suites. The design for the proposed hotel will now go before the Development Review Committee (DRC), and the Architectural Historical Review Commission (AHRC) to ensure compliance with city design requirements before building permits are issued.
At their meeting yesterday, the Biloxi Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve a Planned Development-Residential (PD-R) application for a  proposed single family subdivision to be located on Old Highway 67, north of Woolmarket Road. The proposed 67.8 acre development would contain 88 single family lots. The planning commission recommendation will now go before the city council for final consideration.
Also this week, the DRC reviewed the site plan for the proposed Walmart Neighborhood Market to be located on Popp’s Ferry Road, west of the new Arbor Landing Apartments. The proposed market will be the same size as the recently completed Walmart on Pass Road which was permitted at $11 Million Dollars.
Lastly, building permits were issued this week for a new “Francesca’s Women’s Fashions and Accessories” at Edgewater Mall, and for the “Half Shell Oyster House” to establish a second Biloxi location of their restaurant inside the Hard Rock Casino. Building permits were also issued for 11 new single family houses in locations throughout the city. With our building permit totals this week, we have a construction valuation for 2014 of $111 million, which is $7 million dollars above our total for 2013.
