Council to discuss housing proposal for east Biloxi

The Biloxi City Council has called a workshop for July 19 to discuss a proposal by a nationally award-winning housing developer to construct 125 affordable single-family homes in east Biloxi on four sites of vacant land in a deal that could net the city more than half a million dollars.

The public session will be at City Hall and will begin at 10:30 a.m. Members of the council could vote on the issue at their meeting later that day.

The proposal would involve the city selling three surplus parcels of land – the old City Barn site at the east end of Division Street, the site of O’Reilly Park on Division, and the old Lee Street baseball site on Esters Boulevard, south of the Kroc Center – to make the housing proposal possible. A fourth site on a tract on Holley Street, from Division to the CSX railway, would complete the project, known collectively as “Point Cadet Place.”

The city would be selling 14 acres of land for $523,500.

The homes, which would be elevated with parking underneath would be three and four bedrooms with 1,450 and 1,520 square feet, respectfully, and would have an average sales price of about $155,000.

“There are a number of positives about this proposal,” said Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich. “First, it helps repopulate east Biloxi with affordable prices. Second, the homes will be within walking distance of a number of jobs, and third, this proposal puts 14 acres of dormant property back on the tax rolls.”

The developer, Chartre Consulting Ltd., has constructed 25 affordable housing subdivisions in Mississippi, and in 2008 was recognized by Sen. Thad Cochran and the Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition as runner-up for best tax-credit development in the nation. Chartre owner Clarence Chapman was cited for superior home quality and design for Well’s Place, a 63-home subdivision in Philadelphia, Miss.

Chapman has also constructed more than 400 homes on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, including in Pass Christian (Pass Estates, Bethel Estates and North Street Villas), Gulfport (Holliman Place and Stonegate), and Gautier (Sioux Bayou Arms).

Said Gerald Blessey, the city’s attorney and economic development counsel:  “These homes will be for working families in the $20,000 to $40,000 a year income range.”
See an example of the homes
See the City Council resolution
See a video about Chartre’s previous developments

 

News and notes

Infrastructure progress, Part 1: To see photos of the infrastructure work on Division Street, as published on the city Facebook page, click here.

Infrastructure progress, Part 2: Have you see the video update from Joel Murrah, Oscar Renda’s project manager for the East Biloxi infrastructure work? A new video will be published next week, but to see the current video — a fast-paced five-minute report filmed June 17 — click here.

Farmers Market: It was a busy time at the Charles R. Hegwood Biloxi Farmers Market this morning. To see photos, click here.

Traffic update: To see the latest status on streets, sidewalks and infrastructure work throughout the city, click here.