The Biloxi City Council, in a special meeting on Wednesday afternoon, will discuss the proposed addition of 88 units at the Arbor Place Apartments off Popp’s Ferry Road.
The meeting will begin at 2:30 p.m. at Biloxi City Hall. Three other zoning measures also are on the agenda.
The Arbor Place proposal requires a zoning change for the entire 29-acre site, which includes 240 existing apartments.
The measure had its first reading at the council’s Jan. 2 meeting, but the issue has been delayed while Council President Ed Gemmill pressed for answers to a number of drainage issues in the North Bay area.
To read the complete agenda for Wednesday’s meeting, click here.
Tours of Columbus replica to be offered from museum pier
On Wednesday, Feb. 13, coincidentally the 309th birthday of Biloxi, the Nina, a replica of Columbus’s favorite sailing vessel, will open for tours at the Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum pier on east beach in Biloxi.
Built completely by hand and without the use of power tools, Archaeology magazine called the ship “the most historically correct Columbus replica ever built.” The Nina was used in the production of the film “1492,” starring Gerard Depardieu and directed by Ridley Scott.
The ship has been touring continually since 1992 as a sailing museum. For background on the Nina, click here.
Guided daily tours – Feb. 13 through Feb. 17, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. – will be offered at $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $3.00 for students. Children 4 and under are free. A portion of the admission fee will be donated to the Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum.
Details: 228-435-6320.
News and notes
Sunkist drainage: Kappa Development & General Contracting has been given a notice to proceed on Sunkist Drainage Phase III, a $1.9-million project that will improve drainage for homes near Rustwood, Baywood, Bay Tree and Lackland drives.
School growth: Biloxi Public Schools has unveiled artist’s renderings of a proposed $14 million expansion of Biloxi High School to accommodate the move of more than 400 ninth graders from Biloxi Junior High School. To see the renderings and learn more about the project, click here.
Public safety kudos: Biloxi police officers arrested three of the four Harrison County jail escapees, and Biloxi firefighters – nine men and two fire trucks – responded to a call for assistance to help fight the huge fire at the abandoned apartments on Debuys Road in Gulfport.
Bed-ridden mayor: Mayor A.J. Holloway has agreed to take part in the inaugural Mardi Gras Bed Races Saturday beginning at 10 a.m. in downtown Biloxi. The event, sponsored by Wal-mart to benefit the Salvation Army, will see dozens of beds race from Biloxi City Hall to the Town Green, where a crawfish boil is planned.
